Home Reading

All children from nursery through to Year 6 are expected to take books home regularly to develop a love of books, practise their reading skills and explore different genres. We ask parents of our younger children to listen to their children read and read to them each evening. We understand that for some parents this may be challenging if English is not their first language. We are happy for other family members or siblings to support children and we also encourage parents to use their first language to discuss books as this supports learning.  Once children are able to read independently we still encourage parents to listen to them read regularly and talk about what they have read.

Year Group	What you can expect from school	What we expect from home
Nursery	Children will change their book twice a week. They will choose picture books to share with a parent.	Parents should share picture books with children daily. No reading diaries. ​
Reception	Children will choose one picture book each week.  Once they know their Set 1 sounds and start blending to read, they will receive a ‘Learning to Blend’ book each week.	Pre- red stage children should share story books with their family and parents should record a comment 2 x week in their reading record book. ​ From the Red stage onwards children should read a minimum of 15 minutes daily and an adult at home makes an entry in the reading diary 5 x week.
Y1 / 2	Children will receive 2 matched phonics books each week linked to the RWI programme. One is a black and white version of the book read in school and one Book Bag book- which practises the same sounds but in a new story. Children will also choose a free reading book each week from the class library.	Children read to an adult or older sibling a minimum of 20 minutes daily
Y3 / 4	By this age, many children are reading a range of non-fiction, poetry and short chapter books so these will be changed when the child has finished and taken an AR quiz if there is one. ​Children who are reading shorter books will choose a new book more often. Children still working within the RWI phonics programme will be given books as in Y1/2. ​Children will record their home reading when they arrive in school and take their AR quizzes when they have finished an AR book.  The teaching team will check their reading logs weekly.	Children read a minimum of 30 minutes 5 times a week. Parents and carers should read with children and/or discuss what they have read.  A child may be able to decode and read the words but may not have understood it, so asking questions about the book is important.  Parents and carers should also log into AR Home Connect and discuss the books children have read and their overall progress in reading
Y5 / 6	By this age, many children are reading a range of longer non-fiction, poetry and chapter books so these will be changed when the child has finished and taken an AR quiz if there is one. Children who are reading shorter books will choose a new book more often. ​Children will record their home reading when they arrive in school and take their AR quizzes when they have finished an AR book.  The teaching team will check their home reading logs weekly.	Children read a minimum of 30-40 minutes 5 times a week. Parents and carers should read with children and/or discuss what they have read.  A child may be able to decode and read the words but may not have understood it, so asking questions about the book is important.  Parents and carers should also log into AR Home Connect and discuss the books children have read and their overall progress in reading.