Information about Book Banding:
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Each book in our school has been given a coloured band.
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The banding system follows a national book band scheme.
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Books are given a specific colour band according to their level and word count.
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Books which are banded brown, grey, dark blue, dark red and black are for our older children (from year 3 onwards) and it at this age that subject matter becomes more relevant for these year groups.
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As the children progress through the school it will generally take them longer to move through the bands and from brown book band onwards it’s roughly a band per year.
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Children’s progress will of course be monitored in a variety of other ways so just because they may not have moved book bands does not mean that they have not made any progress!
Please speak to your child’s class teacher if you have any questions or concerns about reading or if you’d like to listen to readers in school.
Helping your child learn to read
As parents and carers, you are your child's most influential teacher with an important part to play in helping your child to learn to read. Here are some suggestions on how you can help to make this a positive experience.
1. Choose a quiet time Set aside a quiet time with no distractions. Ten to fifteen minutes is usually long enough.
2. Make reading enjoyable Make reading an enjoyable experience. Sit with your child. Try not to pressurise if he or she is reluctant. If your child loses interest then do something else.
3. Maintain the flow If your child mispronounces a word do not interrupt immediately. Instead allow opportunity for self-correction. It is better to tell a child some unknown words to maintain the flow rather than insisting on trying to build them all up from the sounds of the letters. If your child does try to 'sound out' words, encourage the use of letter sounds rather than 'alphabet names'.
4. Be positive - think Growth Mindset If your child says something nearly right to start with that is fine. Don't say 'No. That's wrong,' but 'Let's read it together' and point to the words as you say them. Boost your child's confidence with constant praise for even the smallest achievement. Always praise effort and trying hard, not just reading everything accurately, because they should be seeking a challenge.
5. Success is the key 'Nothing succeeds like success'. While your child is building their confidence in reading, let them read books they love and know well in addition to new and more challenging books.
6. Visit the Library Encourage your child to use the public library regularly.
7. Regular practice Try to read with your child on most school days. 'Little and often' is best.
8. Communicate Complete this diary regularly with positive comments and any concerns. Your child will then know that you are interested in their progress and that you value reading.
9. Talk about the books There is more to being a good reader than just being able to read the words accurately. Just as important is being able to understand what has been read. Always talk to your child about the book; about the pictures, the characters, how they think the story will end, their favourite part. You will then be able to see how well they have understood and you will help them to develop good comprehension skills.
10. Variety is important Remember children need to experience a variety of reading materials eg. picture books, hard backs, comics, magazines, poems, and information books.
Please speak to your child’s class teacher if you have any questions or concerns about reading or if you’d like to listen to readers in school.
Click on the links below to see how you can support your child with their reading.