From the Head of Junior School
Mr Glenn Stephenson
Supporting Student Reading
With National Book Week and our HEROIC Literacy and Numeracy Festival now in the rearview mirror for 2024, it seems only fitting to reinforce how parents can continue to help and support their children with reading at home. Some suggestions on how to assist with your child’s reading and comprehension skills are:
Ask Questions
Encourage your child to ask questions while reading and discuss the story together. Ask questions about the characters, plot, setting, and their opinions on the events in the book. This promotes critical thinking and engagement with the material. You can also ask your child question prompts that promote student thinking within, about and beyond the text.
Predict and Summarise
Prompt your child to make predictions about what might happen next in the story. After reading, ask them to summarise the main events or key points. This also reinforces their understanding of the text overall.
Visualise the Story
Help your child to visualise the scenes in the book. Encourage them to create mental images of the characters, settings, and events. Visualisation also enhances comprehension and makes the reading experience more vivid.
Relate to Personal Experiences
Connect the story to your child's own experiences or other books that they have read. This also helps them to make more meaningful connections and relate to the characters' own emotions or actions.
Discuss Vocabulary
When encountering new or challenging words, discuss their meaning with your child. Ask them to consider what other words have a similar meaning. Then encourage them to use the new vocabulary in their writing when applicable. Understanding vocabulary in context also improves overall comprehension.
Continue to Read Aloud Together
Reading aloud together allows you to model effective reading strategies and engage in discussions about the text as you go along. Reading aloud also supports reading fluency which contributes to comprehension. Practise reading fluency with your child and encourage them to read with expression and intonation.
Explore Different Genres
Introduce your child to various genres that they may not necessarily be familiar with such as non-fiction, poetry, and fantasy. This also broadens their understanding of different writing styles and story structures.
By implementing these strategies, parents can create a supportive environment that enhances your child's reading comprehension skills and helps to foster a love of reading. Above all else, remember to be patient, encouraging, and celebrate their progress along the way!
School ‘Nut-Free’ Policy
A friendly reminder to all parents that the School has a strict nut-free policy to ensure the safety of all our students. Please avoid sending any food items containing nuts in your child's lunch or snacks. Your co-operation is greatly appreciated in helping us maintain a safe environment for everyone in the Junior School.
Aspire – Outside School Hours Care
A reminder that Aspire has been handpicked as the Junior School’s new provider for student care outside of regular school hours.
Aspire offers Before School (7am – 8.30am), After School (3pm – 6pm), and Holiday Care (7am – 6pm) services for all students across Pre-Kindergarten – Year 6.
Please refer to the documentation linked/attached below for further information about the student supervision offerings being provided by Aspire:
To learn more about Aspire's services, fees, and registration process, please visit their website at: https://www.aspire-oshc.com.au/pittwater-house or contact our Area Manager, Hannah Hornery, on: 0484 386 830.
If you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me via email: glenn.stephenson@tphs.nsw.edu.au or phone: 9981 4400 and I will endeavour to assist you in any way that I can.