Helping your child at home

Reading is about more than just words!

At Dorchester Primary School, we want children to develop a love of reading as well as the skills to understand, explore and think deeply about what they read. When reading together at home, you can help your child by talking about the story, asking questions and encouraging them to explain their ideas.

There are seven key types of reading comprehension questions that children develop as they move through the school:

• Vocabulary: What does this word mean?
• Retrieval: Can you find the answer in the text?
• Sequencing and Summarising: What happened first, next and last?
• Inference: What makes you think that? How do you know?
• Prediction: What might happen next? Why?
• Compare, Contrast and Comment: How are these characters or events similar or different?
• Author Choice: Why might the author have chosen this word? How does it make you feel?

How can you help at home?

• Talk about what you read. Pause regularly to discuss the story, characters and events.
• Give your child thinking time. There is no need to rush to find an answer.
• Ask “How do you know?” Encourage your child to explain their thinking and look for clues in the text.
• Explore new vocabulary. Discuss unfamiliar words and think of other ways to use them.
• Make predictions. Look at the title, illustrations and events to consider what might happen next.
• Enjoy reading together! Share stories, non-fiction books, comics and anything that sparks your child’s interest.

Remember, you do not need to ask every question every time you read. A relaxed conversation about a book can be just as valuable as reading the words themselves.  You may also think of other questions of your own to ask.  If you speak another language at home, we encourage you to read books in your home language and talk about those books too.

Every conversation helps children become confident, thoughtful and enthusiastic readers.