Reading at Home

Ideally, your child should be reading at home at least 5 times per week. When your child reads with you, encourage them to look out for . ! ? , ( ) -  in sentences and encourage them to read with expression and to think about their tone. 

If they are able to and bring in their reading record on Friday to show this, your child will receive a sticker on the reading rocket.

When they earn 10, 20 and 30 stickers within an academic year, they earn a prize.

Below are some example questions that you could ask to help deepen your child's understanding of what they have read:

Before Reading

• Look at the front cover. What might the story be about?

• What is the genre of the book: sci-fi, mystery, historical, fantasy, adventure, horror, comedy? What are the features that make you think this?

• Who is the author? Have you read any of their books before? Anything similar about his / her stories?
• What has happened in the story so far?

• What do you think will happen next?

• Who is your favourite character? Why?

• Who is the character you like least? Why?

• Find two things the author wrote about this character that made him / her likeable?

• If you met one of the characters from the story, what would you say to him / her?

During or After Reading.

• Which part of the story was the funniest / scariest / saddest / happiest? How has the author created this effect?

• Pick three favourite words or phrases from this chapter. What do you like about them?

• How was _________ feeling when ______ happened? Which words show us this?

• Can you find any words or phrases that describe the setting?

• How do we know when a character is speaking out loud to another character? What might their voice sound like and why do you think this?

• Do you like how the story ended? Can you think of another way the book could have ended?

• How would you feel in the situation? What would you do?

• How long has the author spent describing e.g. the setting? What pictures can you see in you mind?