At North Molton we have a vast selection of reading books which are graded by reading levels known as book bands. These graded books are in Robins, Owls & Kestrels. Once your child has become a 'Free Reader', at Level 26, we like them to read a range of books that will challenge them to think beyond just the story they are reading.

Information for Parents/Carers:

Why is reading so important?

Studies show that reading for pleasure makes a big difference to children’s educational performance. Evidence suggests that children who read for enjoyment every day not only perform better in reading tests than those who don’t, but also develop a broader vocabulary, increased general knowledge and a better understanding of other cultures. In fact, reading for pleasure is more likely to determine whether a child does well at school than their social or economic background.

What difference can I make as a parent?

You can make a huge difference! Parents are important educators in a child’s life and it is never too early to start reading together. As children start to learn to read at school, you can play an important role in helping to keep them interested in books. Find out what interests them, help them to find books that will be engaging and fun, and spend time reading the books they bring home from school together.

Building vocabulary and understanding

Learning to read is about listening and understanding as well as working out what’s printed on the page. Through hearing stories, children are exposed to a wide range of words. This helps them build their own vocabulary and improve their understanding when they listen, which is vital as they start to read. It’s important for them to understand how stories work too. Even if your child doesn’t understand every word, they will hear new sounds, words and phrases which they can then try out, copying what they have heard.

School expectations

As a school we expect children to read at home, to an adult, at least 5 times a week for 10 minutes. Please ensure you fill in the ‘Home’ section of the reading diary to ensure that we know when your child has read with you. This small amount of daily reading has a lasting and significant effect on your child’s education so we monitor children’s home reading very closely at school.