Reading
At Moss Side we consider reading to be the key to unlocking the door for children to learn. As such, we place a heavy emphasis upon this skill as soon as children begin in EYFS.
From the start of EYFS, children use Letterland characters to learn phonetic sounds as they develop their ability to segment (split up sounds) before blending them back together in order to read a variety of words. After extensive reasearch and evaluation, our SSP (Systematic Synthetic Phonics) scheme is Letterland, which allows our pupils to be aborbed into a wrold of phonics, learning all the sounds of the English language during their first two years at school.
The children are heard read on a regular basis by staff and volunteers within school but the support of parents is actively encouraged as children take home their reading book from the Moss Side scheme (a range of appropriately selected books, such as Phonic Bugs, to allow pupils to overlearn the sounds that they have learnt) as well as our Letterland e-books which are shared on a weekly basis.
How can you help your child?
Many parents ask how they may encourage their child with reading and support their learning. Here are a few suggestions:
- Read your child’s school book or ebook every night
- Share high-quality reading books at home by reading to and discussing with your child – these could be from the school library or Leyland Library
- Encourage children to read in ‘real life’ situations eg. shopping lists, street signs
- Put subtitles on the TV – children quickly want to ‘read along’ as they watch
- Check out the parent guide to Letterland
- Download apps to support learning. We love Teach Your Monster to Read
- Watch Alphablocks and play the games
- Make it fun, not a chore!
If you require any further guidance, please discuss this with your child’s class teacher.