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Practical ways teachers and parents can work together to improve reading

There is much evidence of the positive impact of parent and carer support on a child’s early school experience. This is particularly so for their literacy development in Reception/Primary 1 and beyond; the benefits of parents reading aloud to children, sharing books with them from an early age and, importantly, of continuing to read to and with children when they can read, are the subject of many studies internationally. A number of studies have also flagged the positive effect of encouraging parents to talk to and with their children about their learning. This is, of course, an important factor in developing reading comprehension and expanding a child’s vocabulary – both vital contributors to becoming a successful and motivated reader.

Here are some suggestions for activities to inform parents about reading and how they can support their child in the early stages of learning to read.

  • Invite new parents and carers to a meeting about the ‘what and how’ of the teaching of reading in school.
  • Provide workshops and/or ‘drop-ins’ about specific aspects of learning to read, e.g. phonics; ensure there is clear guidance on how this can be used at home.
  • Invite parents and carers to observe a class phonics session or shared or guided reading session in school, or do a phonics or guided reading session with a group of parents.
  • Emphasize the wide variety of reading tasks and the importance of adults at home acting as reading ‘role models’.
  • Have an ongoing and changing display of all reading done in school and home by all adults and children, e.g. a meals supervisor reading a menu in the dining hall, the admin officer reading a report, a parent reading a DIY manual, a grandparent reading a newspaper.
  • Provide a simple booklet of rhymes (this could be done online), poems and songs that the children are learning in class or in assemblies that can be used at home.
  • Encourage joining the local library; where appropriate, ask a local librarian to come into school and set up an informal ‘join here’ stall; stress the importance of learning to ‘browse’ books.
  • Loan story sacks or book bags (books to read together with suggested play activities to do at home); parents and carers could be involved in the creation of these as a central resource.
  • Periodically provide lists of quality children’s books—both classics and new books—to encourage wider reading; these could be on display in a communal or library area of the school so parents see it.
  • Provide details of useful technology, apps and websites—such as Oxford Owl— where parents and carers can access further advice, e-books and activities for supporting their child at home

Clear guidance about specific aspects of reading is key for parents and carers; they need to know what they should do and why it helps their child with reading. It should be made clear that they are supporting the teaching of reading. Below are some suggestions for workshops that could be provided.

  • Phonics: particularly articulation of the phonemes and blending ‘all through the word’ skills.
  • The importance of adult and child book talk: talk before and after reading to aid comprehension; using questions sparingly!
  • The importance of understanding vocabulary: making the vocabulary used in texts part of children’s own vocabulary.
  • The importance of not correcting too soon: giving children time to sort out any difficulties and develop resilience when facing a challenge; ‘prompting and praising’ – the acknowledgement of good effort and attitudes, e.g. “I liked the way you got a bit muddled but then you went back and blended that word again. Well done.”

Oxford University Press’s new Hero Academy books each have inside cover notes that offer a structure and prompts for parents and carers reading with a child at home. They provide parents with a short introduction to the Hero Academy series to inform their book talk discussions with the child.

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