This half term, we are really going to be focusing on reading. It is so important for children to spend time reading, some of the main benefits of reading are:

1. Their vocabulary is larger and more extensive.
2. They perform better academically.
3. Their imagination can run wild.
4. Their creativity skills develop.
5. They develop empathy.
6. They gain a deeper understanding of their world.
7. Their concentration levels improve.
8. The parent and child bond improves.
9. Their cognitive development is supported.
10. Their social skills and interaction improve.

For further information: Why is Reading Important for Children? | Developmental Effects (highspeedtraining.co.uk)

It is important that children read for 20 minutes a day. This can include the school phonics book that gets sent home, but it's also important for them to read lots of different text types and to really read texts that interest them, to ensure they develop a passion for reading. Here are some tips for reading with your child:

Make it part of your routine. Try your best to read to your child every day and keep it consistent. Incorporate this into your, and your child’s, daily routine until it becomes as much of a habit as them brushing their teeth. However, try not to be discouraged if you miss a day – just pick your routine back up as normal when you have time.

Encourage variation. Try to vary the books that you read to your child as much as possible. This will open their eyes to a range of different worlds, cultures, and characters, and allow their imagination to be stretched and thrive.

Have patience. Sometimes we can forget what it’s like to be that age and what we were like. As an adult we take reading for granted, but it’s easier to be patient with a child when we remember how much they don’t know yet. For example, how is a child going to know to read from left to right until you point at the words as you go? How are they to know that each scrawl on the page represents a word? Take your time and be patient if they don’t understand.

Continue the discussion. After you’ve finished reading a story to your child, consider trying to keep it going. Age depending, you could ask them questions about what they’ve just read. For example, “Did you enjoy that story?”, “Who was your favourite character?” or “Why do you think the prince was happy at the end?”. However, don’t feel that this is necessary for every single story you read. If your child enjoys the book, it will develop a love of reading anyway, even without the conversation.

Homework - Reading Comprehension

Please complete the following comprehension. This will take you longer than a week as it is quite detailed. There are a range of different question types, the children may need support and guidance to know how to find and answer the different type of questions.

Completing the comprehension questions in full answers in their homework books will also allow children to practise their sentence structure and writing.

There are answers at the end if you are unsure of anything or want to mark them with your child after.