Reading is incredibly important to the development of all children. We encourage children to read as often as is possible in school and at home. We are also keen for parents and carers to spend time reading to their children whenever they can. Just a few minutes can make a huge difference.
Much of our curriculum and EYFS provision is specifically designed to accelerate the development of early reading skills. This document summarises what we do across the school and nursery: Reading Intent Statement.
Phonics
In order to read, children must learn the phonetic code. Combinations of letters, are used to build words, sound by sound, letter by letter. Children learn to read words, especially those they do not yet recognise by sight, by decoding the sounds, in sequence and by blending the separate sounds together to make the word.
There are 44 unique phonemes (sounds) in the English language; however, there are over 100 ways of writing these sounds using letters. For example, the long vowel sound /ai/ can be written using: ‘ai’, ‘ay’, ‘ey’, ‘eigh’, ‘a’ and ‘a_e’; the words rain, pay, grey, neigh, acorn and take each have the same long /ai/ sound but it is spelt in 6 different ways. What a wonderful language we have!
Complexities such as this are why it is important that children practise applying their phonic knowledge regularly, to increase the speed with which they are able to decode sounds in words and thereby improve their fluency reading.
Here is a useful booklet about Phonics for Parents: Phonics Booklet
Your child can practise their Speed Sounds at home by watching these short online clips:
Reading eBooks
Children in Year 1 and Year 2 have personal accounts to enable them to access Read Write Inc eBooks. These are electronic copies of books that are selected to closely match your child’s stage of development in reading.
eBook are access via the Oxford Owl website: https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/login?active-tab=students
If you have difficult access your child’s eBooks, please watch this short video that explains and demonstrates how to access the eBooks.
Reading Eggs
Every child in the school has an account for Reading Eggs which is a fun interactive online game for children to help them to practise their Phonics and Reading skills. Reading Eggs can be accessed from any smart device with access to the internet.
Children are encouraged to use Reading Eggs are home and they earn certificates and prizes for completing 20, 45, 70, 95 and 120 lessons. These are awarded in assembly twice each term.
Reading Raffle Prize
Every time a child reads to a family member at home, they earn a raffle ticket. Parents, carers, make a short note to show they have listened to their child read in their Reading Record Book.
Each week two raffle tickets are picked in our Friday assembly and two children get to choose a new book to take home to read.
The more you listen to your child read, the more raffle tickets they will earn, which increases their chance of winning a book!
Twerton Infant School and Nursery 