Promoting Reading for Pleasure:

Our key principles for developing reading for pleasure are:

1. Developing an ethos and an environment that excites, enthuses, inspires and values

2. High quality texts with depth and interest in story, character, illustration, vocabulary, structure and subject matter

3. Opportunities to read aloud to ensure all children develop fluency, prosody  and expression

4. Teachers who are knowledgeable about children’s literature

5. Creating a community of readers with opportunities to share responses and opinions

6. Planning for talking about books and stories, providing structures within which to do this

7. Understanding the importance of illustration in reading both in terms of creating a text and responding to a text

8. Using drama and role play to help children to understand and access texts

9. Working with authors and author/illustrators to understand the process of creating books

10. Using literature beyond the literacy lesson – cross-curricular planning with quality literature as the starting point

Things you can do at home:

• Ensure your child reads at least 5 times per week and record their reading in their Reading Record or Homework Diary.
• Talk about what books they are currently reading.
• Ask questions when listening to your child read aloud (please see our school website for two very helpful resources on questions to ask your child when reading).
• Read books to your child / read books together.
• Visit local libraries and bookshops.

We greatly appreciate all the support you give in supporting and encouraging your children to read at home and we are looking forward to an exciting year full of reading ahead!