Learning to Read and Write with Murray Gadd

Tips for parents to help their children at home with learning to read and write:

WHAT CHILDREN NEED TO ACHIEVE AS READERS.....

Children need to;

be enthusiastic and eager to read a wide range of texts, both fiction and non-fiction

be able to "read the words" (decode) of texts at their level

be able to predict what is going to happen in a text

be able to make meaning of texts at their level, both at a surface level ('what is happening?") and at a deeper level ("what is really happening?")

be able to think critically about the texts they are reading ('what messages is the author trying to give and is this good writing?")

use texts to collect, analyse and present information

recognise strong links between reading and writing

be able to read fluently, with expression and independently

TO DO THIS WELL, CHILDREN NEED TO HOLD....

background knowledge of the text

knowledge about the conventions of texts, e.g.

• important information is contained in the title and cover
• we read from left to right

knowledge of how texts work, e.g. books have a particular structure according to their purpose

knowledge of the alphabet and letter-sound relationships (phonologicial awareness)

Knowledge of how to read words and sentences. This means asking yourself some key questions when you come across a word or phrase you are unsure of;

• what clues do I get from the picture?
• what clues can I get from the sounds I can see and recognise? (letter-sound clues)
• does the word I am thinking of make sense in the sentence? (grammar clues)
• what punctuation clues can help me?

it also means re-reading the sentence and self-correcting as you decide on the "right' answer