Literacy

National Simultaneous Storytime 

We’re excited to once again celebrate National Simultaneous Storytime at Vermont Primary School! This special annual event sees children across Australia enjoy the same book, read aloud on the same day. 

This year’s story is the Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel and Danny Snell. It's a fun and heartwarming tale that’s sure to capture students' imaginations. On Thursday 22nd May, classes at VPS will have the opportunity to watch a video of our Library Captains reading the story and will be able to take part in some engaging activities related to the text.

If you have a younger child who is not yet at school, you’re invited to join in from home. National Simultaneous Storytime is open to everyone! To learn more and access the story, visit: https://www.alia.org.au/nss

The Power of Reading to Your Child

The National Simultaneous Storytime is a fun and engaging experience for our students each and every year. All teachers understand that reading to the class, whether it be a Foundation or Grade 6 class, has its benefits and even the liveliest of students seem to appreciate the calming effect of listening to a book.

So does reading to your child at home have any benefits? Studies show a resounding 'yes', especially at a young age. 

'Reading to children at age 4-5 every day has a significant positive effect on their reading skills and cognitive skills (i.e. language and literacy, numeracy and cognition) later in life.' Department of Education and Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research 

And for older students, there is still an important place for reading to your child. 

'It highlighted a strong correlation between older children being read to, and children choosing to read independently for pleasure; 74% of eight to 13-year-olds who were read to each day also read independently, compared with just 29% of those who were read to less than once a week.' The Guardian

More specifically, reading to your child can help:

• Supported cognitive development
• Improved language skills
• Preparation for academic success
• Increased concentration and discipline
• Improved imagination and creativity
• Cultivating a lifelong love of reading

I understand that finding time in the day to do this can be a challenge and that not everyone's schedules allow it to occur, but, if you can find the time to read to your child, it is a worthwhile and enjoyable experience to share. 

(https://www.education.vic.gov.au/documents/about/research/readtoyoungchild.pdf) 

(https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/mar/04/give-older-children-story-time-to-halt-fall-in-young-readers-urge-experts) 

Fortnightly Segments 

Comprehension Question 

This fortnight’s questions are:

Describe the setting of your book. When and where does it take place?

What character do you remember the most? Why do you remember him/her? 

Writing Challenge

If your child enjoys their writing and is keen to write for enjoyment at home, below is a prompt that you could ask your child to write about. 

The dinosaurs are back, and they’re in your street. What happens next?