Grestone's Great Reading Focus

This new term has started with ‘Grestone’s Great Reading Focus’. Across the school we are challenging all children to develop a love of reading, be able to read fluently and to understand, enjoy and talk about what they’ve read. Research shows that children who read regularly and read for pleasure perform better not only in reading but across the curriculum.  There is clear evidence that children who enjoy reading experience many added benefits, such as developing their imagination and creativity, breadth of vocabulary , empathy and understanding and general knowledge to name but a few. For this to happen we need everyone on board:

What we are doing

• In our drive to improve reading and encourage Reading for Pleasure across the school, new books have been purchased for both the school library and the classrooms.  This should inspire the children with plenty of exciting books to choose from.
• Each morning starts with DEAR time where children Drop Everything And Read for 15 mins.
• We will be issuing each child with a new Reading Diary. Each morning in DEAR time they will need the diary and their reading book.
• We started the term with an assembly to get children excited and on board with the part they play. In the assembly, children and staff shared their favourite books. The children enjoyed guessing the reader after listening to recordings of members of staff reading their favourite book. Ms Foulkes set a reading competition where children and staff had to name a book title using picture clues and the assembly ended with a New Year’s story.  
• The first day back was a Reading themed day where each class read a picture book that all work for the day was based on. This ranged from children writing diaries and letters, producing art work and lots of book talk in between.  
• Continuing to prioritise childrens’ reading development across the school day
• Different activities and competitions across the term to maintain momentum.

  What we would like you to do

• It is incredibly important that you help your child practise reading at home everyday. Please hear your child read and talk about the stories and books your child has read- this is a great way to increase their understanding and to share their ideas and enthusiasm about reading.  
• Please sign their Reading Diary each time you read with them. You can add a short comment if you wish. Remember to encourage them and be positive about their progress.
• Everyday, your child should bring back home from school a reading book and reading diary. Please help them to remember to do this, and make sure they remember to take it back to school each morning.
• If you’d be interested in coming in to school to hear children read, please enquire at the office!

Across this term, with your help, we hope to see ALL children make really good progress in their reading and become more and more enthusiastic about books.