a better place to live parents’ reading meeting developing reading skills through home languages

a better place to live

Parents’ Reading Meeting

Developing reading skills through home languages


Reading Reading is an important part

of children’s learning. It is a skill that children need in all areas of the curriculum.

A good level or competency in

reading can aid children’s progress in school. Research demonstrates that if parents read with their children, children’s reading standards can improve. Establishing regular times at home to read with your child, and using strategies that are consistent with school, will significantly support your child’s reading.

Schools have reading programmes and schemes in place but reading is taught in many ways, such as through:

-independent reading-paired reading-group reading-reading activities with staff-games-use of school library-visuals in the school environment-curriculum areas-reading schemes.


The reading process

Reading involves much more than reading the written word. Children need to acquire skills which will help them in becoming better readers and will also support their writing, e.g.Book handling To be able to handle books,

turn pages. To know print is left to right.Vocabulary To learn new words and build

on their own vocabulary. To develop ideas for their own

writing.

Text To recognise letter names/letter

sounds. To use phonetic sounds to

read/decode words. To develop increased confidence

with reading familiar/unfamiliar words.

To develop fluency in their reading.

To use expression in their reading.

Comprehension To learn how to speak and listen

around the story. To learn how to read with

understanding. To understand how to make

predictions. To be able to make inference. To be able to make links with

experiences and express personal opinions.


English as an additional language, concerns with reading

Some pupils with English as an additional language do not achieve in certain reading tasks e.g. comprehension.

Teachers report that some pupils do not have the same opportunities for reading at home.

Pupils do not recognise their home language as valuable in reading.


Issues arising for some parents

Parents’ experiences of learning to read is different to their children’s, e.g. different education system.

Parents are unfamiliar with how reading is taught in school.

Parents lack confidence to approach school staff about concerns they have with supporting their children with reading.

Parents feel they must only use English when reading with their children and not draw on their home language.

Some parents are not confident or able to read in English. This can be an additional barrier in supporting their children with reading at home.


What are the aims of the project?

To raise the value placed on use of home languages and ensure pupils are using all their linguistic skills.

To assure parents that their support of their children in home language will benefit their children’s acquisition of English.

To bridge cultural and historical differences between how parents were taught to read and how we teach their children now.

To raise the attainment of ethnic minority pupils in reading.

To provide schools with a strategy in engaging ethnic minority parents with their children’s reading.


Importance of home languages in school

Bilingualism is an asset and should not be seen as a hindrance.

Parental involvement in children’s education supports their learning.

Research highlights where home languages are developed. This improves thinking skills and the ability to acquire a new language.

For many bilingual children once they start school their home language is gradually replaced by English. If the home language is not supported they can end up with neither language being well developed.


What do the resources include?

Dual text books in a variety of home languages.

Translated reading guidance leaflets for parents.

Phonics charts with phonetic sound transliterations.

High frequency words with transliterations.

Story talk prompts to develop speaking, listening and comprehension.


LIST OF TRANSLATED MATERIALS AVAILABLE

Translated reading guidance leaflets

Alphabet/phonic chart

High frequency words

Story prompts

Parents’ Questionnaires

Albanian

Arabic

Bengali

Bulgarian

Chinese

English

Farsi

French

Gujarati

Hindi

Lithuanian

Polish

Portuguese

Romanian

Russian

Somali

Spanish

Tamil

Turkish

Urdu


Useful tips on reading together Make sure that when you read with your child there are

no distractions. You do not have to be able to read English to support

your child with reading. Supporting your child with reading Using the following tips you can help develop their reading whether it’s in your home language, English or both. Before you start reading a book, talk about the pictures

on the cover, encourage your child to predict what the story might be about. Point out the name of the person who wrote the book and the person who drew the pictures. Ethnic Minority Advisory Team

Teachers’ Centre As you read the story, stop and talk about what is Melbourne Road

happening in the pictures. Discuss what has happened Ilford in the story and what they think might happen next. Essex IG1 4HT This will help your child to understand the story. Tel: 020 8553 4511

If your child gets stuck on a word, encourage them

to have a go using letter sounds or by looking at the picture for clues. If they are still stuck, read the word yourself if you can.

Children must not be afraid of making a mistake. If they

are struggling do not get impatient as this will not help them.

When you finish reading the book encourage your child to

talk about it. Find out how much they have understood by asking questions. Allow them to ask questions as well.

Reading leaflet - English


Reading leaflet - Bengali


Aa apple

Bb book

Cc car

Dd dog

Ee egg

Ff fly

Gg girl

Hh hat

Ii ink

Jj jacket

Kk kite

Ll lion

Mm mushroom

Nn nose

Oo orange

Pp pencil

Qq queen

Rr rabbit

Ss sun

Tt tree

Uu umbrella

Vv volcano

Ww watch

Xx x-ray

Yy yo-yo

Zz zebra

Phonics chart - English


Phonics chart - Bengali


The first 45 words in the Literacy Framework -

Ordered according to frequency and

difficulty List A

List B

List C

List D

I we up going

and on look away

he at like play

is for go am

a said this cat

to you come day

the are big dog

in they my mum

was all no dad

of get yes

it went

High frequency words - English


High frequency words - Bengali


BEOWULF What is the story about?

A long time ago in Denmark there lived an evil creature who made the life of the people who lived there a misery. He would terrorise them and kill them. No one could defeat this creature, no one except the great warrior Beowulf. Beowulf promised the king that he would kill Grendel the evil creature and he did! But Beowulf had forgotten that Grendel had an evil mother who started to take revenge on the people for the death of her son. Beowulf searched for Grendel’s mother in the gloomy waters where she lived and after a mighty fight, he eventually killed her. The king rewarded Beowulf by holding a big feast and gave him many gifts.

Play a game/other ideas Talk together

- Can you re-tell the story using some of the words in old English e.g. merriment, proclaimed etc

- Describe one of the characters. Can someone guess who you are describing?

- Why is the story about Denmark when it is written in old English?

- Which parts of this story could have been

based on real events and which parts could have been added?

- The story has parts of it which are scary, how does the way the book is illustrated/written make it scary?

- What other stories do you know where good conquers evil?

- Do you think the story is true?

Read the story

- The story is written in old English, what do these words mean? – vile, proclaimed, gables, bestowing, desolate. - In the story there are many descriptive words used. Discuss the words used to describe:

- the night when the first banquet was held - Grendel

- Grendel’s home - the marshes. - What do you think was special about Beowulf that he killed Grendel where the other warriors could not?

Language: ENGLISH

Story prompts- English


Story prompts- Romanian


Questions Do you have any questions?

Do you think this project/resources will help you with supporting your child’s reading?

a better place to live parents’ reading meeting developing reading skills through home languages

Documents

reading reading

reading process reading

reading skills

certain reading tasks

better place

use of home languages

parents lack confidence

school staff