Teaching and Learning

Building on the previous focus on the importance of nightly reading, this week we want to share some practical ways families can make reading at home more meaningful and enjoyable.

When children talk about what they’ve read, make predictions, or connect ideas to their own lives, they strengthen their comprehension, vocabulary, and confidence.

Questions to Ask While Reading

When reading at home with your child, try asking a few of these questions to help them think about the text and build their comprehension skills:

• What do you think might happen next?
• How do you think the character feels right now?
• What is the main problem in the story, and how did the character try to solve it?
• What new or interesting word did we find, and what might it mean?
• Does this story remind you of something you’ve experienced or read before?
• Can you tell me what happened at the beginning, middle, and end?

These questions work well with both decodable readers and any other books your child enjoys.

Activities for After Reading

• Ask your child to summarise the plot in just three sentences.
• Have them draw the main character and label them with descriptive words.
• Write down any new words from the book and discuss their meanings.
• Write a quick outline of what happened at the beginning, middle, and end.
• Have your child write a new ending or imagine what happens next in a sequel.

Danielle Phillips

Teaching and Learning Leader