KS1 Guide: Asking the right questions!

Reading readiness and questioning

This week we are thinking about how to get the most out of our little readers. How do we get them ‘in the mood’? How do we ask the right questions? What ARE the right questions?

Its simple.

There are no ‘right’ questions. Any question that encourages your child to think about what they are reading is a great one.

Read on to discover handy hints for our very young readers, progressing onto our

flourishing readers. Remember, there is no fixed age or stage of development, it is about getting our children thinking and the same question could be asked to many children; the detail in their response will vary.

So…..find a book and get comfy!

IT'S ALL AROUND US!

We all know not only how important reading is but what a wonderful door it is into

another world of imagination, intrigue and knowledge.

But.

How do we achieve this with our young readers? How do we inspire them? What can we do to enable them to develop the skills needed?

It’s simple really. Reading needs to be integrated into everyday life. IT’S ALL AROUND US! It needs to be recognized as an essential skill but also as something which is fun and exciting.

How do we achieve that? We have a few easy tips here to help you.

1) Create a buzz

Make reading an enjoyable experience. Have a good selection of books and reading       material. (Watch out for our upcoming blog where we talk about this in more detail.)    Create the perfect ambience with comfy seating, cushions, a reading tent and play around with lights.

2) Model reading

Model reading at every opportunity. If your child sees you reading and enjoying it, they are more likely to become enthusiastic readers themselves. It doesn't have to be a novel - reading a newspaper, recipe book or magazine is totally valid!

3) Integrate reading into everyday life

It seems obvious really, but children need to see that reading has a purpose. At home, make a point of reading recipes, instructions, the TV guide and so on. (We will be blogging about this in more detail at a later date.) When out and about look at street names, road signs, shop signs, adverts, posters, labels in shops…..the list is endless!

4) Read aloud to your child

Children love listening to stories! They can sit back, relax and just focus on letting their   imaginations run wild without having to do the hard work! It also means they will have   access to vocabulary rich texts which their reading ability may not be ready for but their understanding is. Bonus: It helps their writing!

5) Let your child read ‘easy’ books!

Let’s face it. As adults we don’t always want to challenge ourselves with our reading      material. Sometimes we just want to curl up with that magazine or a book we have read ten times already but we just love the story and the imagery it creates. It’s the same for our little readers. Learning to read is a challenge and children often like to read something familiar or ‘easy’ because it is comforting and reassuring and they can just read for pleasure.

Let’s get our children reading!

Hey! You! Look here; it's our fancy new blog!

Welcome from all of us here at Flourish. We are very excited indeed to announce the launch of our new and exciting venture!

So, who are we?

My name is Mrs. Debi Lawrence and I have been working in education for over 26 years, across the Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. I am passionate about reading and giving our young learners the best start to their educational journey that I can, drawing from a vast wealth of experience of working with children from all different cultures and backgrounds and who have a diverse range of needs.

Why Flourish?

We believe reading is at the heart of every child’s learning. We know it is a key which opens many doors throughout our children’s learning journey and into their adult, working lives.

Reading is complex with so many skills to master, hence our tag line;

‘Learning has many branches, grow each branch and grow a reader.’

It is so important to identify which skills our children have already mastered and which ones need to be developed. We are then able to create a bespoke programme addressing these skills which is delivered in a fun, engaging way, always keeping our children and their self-esteem at the heart of everything we do.

What do we offer?

Head to our website to find out more about the many services we can offer parents, children and schools. It’s all very exciting!

www.flourish-reading.co.uk 

We will be uploading a new blog every Wednesday with tips, ideas and more! Please do come and join us and follow us on our exciting new journey!