What books should I be reading with my child?

Reading with your child every night is crucial. Each week, your child will take home a book, which is linked to their phonics learning for that week, and a book to share for pleasure.

Phonics book- Your child should be able to read their phonics book confidently to you and you can support them by repeatedly reading this book throughout the week as this will help develop their fluency and expression.

Ideas to support developing their fluency when reading this book:

• Use a lollipop stick (that you could both decorate!) to point at the words whilst they read
• Model reading the page yourself, with good pace and expression, before asking your child to read it in the same way
• Read the page at the same time, out loud, with your child to support them in developing their pace 
• Use 'Fred Talk' to support your child if they linger on a word for too long (see the green and red word card page for a reminder of how to do this)
• Use the resources below to talk about the book

Book to share for pleasure- This book is chosen to develop your child's love of reading! It is not expected that your child will be able to read this book independently; it is a book to be shared with family members.

Ideas to support developing their fluency when reading this book:

• Build a routine in the week where you and your child can relax, get comfy and cosy and settle down to sharing this book
• Choose a cosy space, whether it be in their bedroom, on the sofa, in a reading den, and generate excitement that this is a special time to share a good book!
• Share the book with other family members to develop that sense that books are to be talked about
• Use the resources below to talk about the book

What questions should I be asking as we are reading?

When you are reading, it isn't the quantity that you're looking for, it is the quality, hence why we encourage you to read the book many times. 

To support their understanding of the words they are reading, it is important to hold conversations about the book with your child, including questions about characters, the setting, similar books they've read and their likes and dislikes. 

Below you will find many resources that will support you in your book talk: