Early Years Reading

As we all know, reading is important, and the Early Years set the foundations for future success. In these formative years, children begin to develop the fundamental literacy skills that will serve as building blocks for their academic journey and beyond. By encouraging a love for reading and providing enriching literacy experiences during the Early Years, we lay the groundwork for children to become confident and proficient readers in the years to come.

At St Joseph's, our entire Early Years team has been hard at work creating resources to assist with home reading. The extract below, along with the two instructional videos, is designed to assist with home reading while giving some essential information on how you can best assist your child/children while still learning to read. 

Why is home reading important?
Home reading plays a crucial role in the development of young readers in the Early Years (Prep - Year 2) for several reasons:

1. Reinforcement of Skills: Home reading provides an opportunity for students to practice and reinforce the literacy skills they are learning in school, such as phonics, decoding words, and comprehension strategies.
2. Building Fluency: Regular reading at home helps students improve their reading fluency, which is the ability to read with accuracy, speed, and expression.
3. Comprehension Skills: Home reading encourages children to engage with texts, ask questions, make predictions, and draw conclusions, all of which are important comprehension skills.
4. Parental Involvement: By reading together, parents can bond with their children, model good reading habits, and demonstrate the value and importance of literacy.