Reception and KS1 Reading

This year we have moved to a new phonics scheme to better help the children learn to read. The new government guidance on reading is very clear and the books the school gives children to read must be fully decodable. What this means is that the children should be able to read the books without too much adult support. The words in the books should use the phonics sounds the children have been taught and should not overload them with words that they need your help with to read.

You will see the new books start to come home and it will feel at first that they are much easier than the ones we have sent in the past. Please do not panic, your child has not been moved down a reading level. The new reading framework states that children will feel more confident if they can read with less adult support and it will really help them to consolidate the phonics learning they are doing in class. 

This does not means you should not read other books with your children and that you can’t provide challenge—this is just for the reading books we give directly relating to their phonics lessons. 

Essentially, the best way to get your child to read is just to read with them all the time and using all kinds of books at all kinds of level.