Supporting Literacy Skills at Home

1. Supporting Literacy Skills at Home Jill Nitsche Literacy Coordinator

2. Why is Literacy Important? • Key priority in the National Improvement Framework. • Responsibility of all. • School Improvement Group & Literacy Coordinator • All National Qualifications depend to a greater or lesser extent on well-developed literacy skills.

3. Children who read for pleasuremake more progress in maths, as well as vocabulary and spelling, between the ages of 10 and 16 than those who rarely read. (Institute of Education, University of London, 2013).

4. There is overwhelming evidence that literacy has a significant relationship to people’s life chances. Reading books is the only out-of-school activity for 16 year olds demonstrably linked to securing managerial or professional jobs (Mori 2013).

5. Key Literacy Skills Understand and use subject-specific vocabulary Understand often complex information Give their personal opinion on what they read and listen to Research a topic and make relevant, organised notes Engage with texts to understand new knowledge and concepts Plan extended pieces of writing and write at length Share their ideas clearly and fluently Think critically; spot bias and persuasion Summarise others’ ideas using their own words

6. Practical Strategies

7. Reading with your child Research has shown that reading aloud to children of all ages helps them to develop their writing skills. This is because it helps pupils to develop their knowledge of language and story structure. It also provides them with a greater range of ideas which they can use in their own writing, and gives them access to texts that may be too complex for them to read alone. At Balerno High School, we read a wide range of texts in English, from novels to plays to newspaper articles, and we would encourage parents to continue enjoying the pleasure of sharing stories, discussing what you’re reading, even after your child has become an independent reader.

8. Fostering a love of reading It is also valuable for children to see adults enjoying reading themselves. Showing your child that you enjoy reading a book or newspaper yourself can help them to see the purpose of reading, and encourage them to become a reader. Other ways to engage children as readers include listening to audio books, visiting the library or a book shop to choose their own texts and sharing books with their siblings. Reading should never be a chore. Helping your child to develop a love of reading now will help them to develop as independent readers as they get older.

9. Reading skills and response to texts You can also help your child by encouraging them to: • Encouraging your child to read at home • Listening whilst your child reads • Offer opinions about why characters behave in a certain way • Read a variety of texts, including fiction, non-fiction and poetry • Answer questions about what they have read to show their understanding, looking back to find the answers if necessary • Keeping reading sessions short and fun • Sharing books, reading sections each, especially if your child wants to tackle a more difficult text • Recapping any words that your child found difficult • Giving lots of praise and encouragement • Discussing what has been read

10. Reluctant Readers Some children do not find reading easy. They may struggle to read words or to understand meaning. Children develop at different rates, and it may be that in time and with appropriate support your child will become an accomplished reader. You can encourage your child to read by: • Following their interests. Whatever interests them, there will be reading material available which will grab their attention. • Asking them to read a recipe or some information from a newspaper – all reading helps! • Reading to them in a relaxed, cosy setting • Sharing reading – you read a page and ask your child to read a page. • Allowing your child to read books which are easy to build confidence, and gradually increasing the level of challenge when your child is ready. • Letting your child see you reading and enjoying books.

11. Useful Websites and Apps • The Scottish Book Trust has just launched the Bookzilla app, which encourages pupils to read for pleasure. Young people can receive tailored book recommendations, see what's popular among their classmates and challenge themselves to try something new with a reading dare.  • http://lovereading4kids.co.ukis a fantastic website, where you can download the first chapter of thousands and thousands of books for free – a great way of helping your child find what they’re interested in. • http://readwritethink.orghas lots of resources for parents to help develop literacy at home, such as games, tips and fun projects.