Welcome back after the Christmas break. It has been wonderful to see the children return to school, settling quickly back into their routines, even with the added excitement of a little snow!
Reading at Home
We have introduced a new incentive to encourage and promote regular reading at home. Our staff are monitoring how often children read outside of school, with each individual read contributing towards a class total.
When reading with your child, please prioritise their Read Write Inc. reading books before their library books. These books are matched to your child’s reading ability, can be read independently, and play a vital role in supporting their reading progress.
At the end of each term, the class with the highest number of reads will receive a 30-minute reward, while the class finishing in second place will receive a 15-minute reward, in recognition of their effort and commitment.
Last term (October–December), the results were as follows:
- 1st Place – Hazel Class with an impressive 369 reads. Miss Butt will be discussing the 30-minute reward with the children in Hazel Class.
- 2nd Place – Hawthorn Class with a fantastic 310 reads. Miss Bacro will be discussing their 15-minute reward with the children in Hawthorn Class.
Well done to both classes for a great start and thank you to parents and carers for supporting reading at home. We look forward to seeing even more reads next term!
Why read at home?
Reading at home plays a vital role in your child’s learning and overall success at school. When children read regularly outside the classroom, they build stronger language skills, improve their understanding of different subjects, and develop a lifelong love of learning.
Just 10–20 minutes of reading each day can make a big difference. Reading together helps children:
- Improve vocabulary and comprehension
- Develop better focus and listening skills
- Build confidence in reading and writing
- Strengthen imagination and critical thinking
You can support your child by:
- Setting aside a regular time each day for reading
- Letting your child choose books that interest them
- Talking about the story, pictures, or characters
- Being a positive role model by reading yourself
Reading does not always have to be from a book. Magazines, comics, instructions, and even recipes all help children practice reading in meaningful ways.
