Parent Information Evening

Monday 9th November

The aims of the evening

To give an overview of the way we teach reading and spelling.

To give examples of some ways you can help your child with reading and spelling at home.

To give you, the parents, an opportunity to ask questions about our language programme.

ReadingThe main reading scheme we use at school is

the PM Reading Scheme.We also use;The Oxford Reading TreeGinn 360StoryworldsRigby Rockets

Reading At Home• Students are assessed by the class teacher or a

trained learning assistant and given a reading level.

• Books that are sent home should be texts that the student can read with ease.

• Home readers are sent home for reading practice, to increase fluency, confidence and comprehension.

• You are welcome to supplement your child’s reading at home with your own books or books borrowed from the library.

Changing Reading Levels• A reading scheme provides a set of books divided

into levels which are aimed at specific reading abilities. There are many titles to choose from as well as a choice of fiction and non-fiction texts.

• Children develop as readers at their own pace.• Decoding skills enable a student to decipher a

word using their knowledge of phonics and word blends, etc.

• True reading occurs when the reader fully understands what they are reading - comprehension.

How can fluency and comprehension be developed?• Talk about the books being read.• Ask questions to check understanding.• Discuss the character, the setting, the

illustrations, etc.• Reading fluency is what all our students are

aiming to achieve.• A fluent reader reads smoothly, with pace and

uses the words and punctuation to add expression when reading.

Guided ReadingChildren of similar reading abilities are

grouped together to work on the same text.The text they are reading will be at an

instructional level (90-95% accuracy).The class teacher works with one group a day

to work on specific skills that will further develop their reading ability.

Reading As Part Of The School DayStudents will also be reading throughout their

day at school;Teacher instructionsWorkbooksDate on the boardReading for information during the unit of

inquiryProof reading their own and others’ writing

First Steps First Steps is an outcomes-based approach to teaching.

This means a shift in emphasis from what is to be taught to what is actually learned by each student.

One of the best ways to help students acquire spelling proficiency is to teach spelling within the context of everyday writing.

Addressing individual spelling needs during writing tasks is an effective way to individualise instruction and teach at the point of need.

However, a comprehensive approach to teaching spelling also needs to provide explicit teaching, frequent opportunities to investigate and analyse words, and daily opportunities for authentic writing. Authentic writing allows students to practise and apply their new understandings.

The characteristics of an effective spelleruse a variety of spelling strategies to spell

and learn new wordsautomatically recall high-frequency words,

personally significant words and topic and signal words

continually build their vocabularyunderstand the English orthographic systemunderstand and apply spelling

generalisationsself monitor and generate alternative

spellings for unknown words

Spelling strategies to spell and learn new words• Sounding out• Chunking• Using spelling generalisations• Using analogy• Consulting an authority• Using meaning• Using memory aids• Using visual memory

Questions?