Rolleston State
School
Home Reading
Journal
Name:
Class:
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Beliefs About Reading
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more
places you'll go.
— Dr. Seuss, "I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!"
Reading is the process of understanding texts through problem solving, and the process of
acquiring knowledge from texts. Reading must take place within an active literacy
framework and a supportive environment which involves reading, writing, listening,
questioning, thinking and engagement in substantive conversations about thinking and
about texts.
Reading is and always will be a very important part of our lives. We use reading each and
every day, in many different ways. We read road signs, store windows, magazines, junk
mail, emails, notes, text messages… the list goes on!
Our teachers are committed to ensuring the continued development of your child’s reading.
We are committed to ensuring that resources bought, developed and supplied by the
school are allocated towards supporting Literacy Development in all Key Learning Areas.
This Parent Guide has been produced to make sure that our community of teachers,
students, parents, carers and volunteers, are on the same journey and spreading the
same message – Rolleston Students are always achieving the best they can.
The meaning in this is simple, if we support reading in the classroom, then let’s support
the parents and carers at home. This resource will give you ideas on how to make the
Home Reading Experience reflective of the skills, knowledge and language that takes place
every day in our classrooms.
Please try a range of these suggested activities and let us know what you think. Keep an
eye out for the range of ‘Parent Education Sessions’ that we will hold during the year.
A Balanced Reading Program
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
- Richard Steele, Tatler, 1710
Our Whole-School Balanced Reading Program includes:
• Read-alouds
• Shared reading
• Guided reading
• Independent reading
 Sustained Silent Reading
You can also include these practices into your home reading schedule.
But what are these and how can we do this easily at home?
A read-aloud is the name we give the process when an adult reads aloud to children,
voicing the thoughts or questions that we usually keep inside our heads, e.g.
 Read the title and think aloud and relate the topic to life experiences you or your
child has had.
‘My dad once had a truck just like this one.”’
 Read the name of the author and the illustrator and think aloud as you recall other
books by this author that you or your child have read, or other books that have
some similarities.
‘I once read a book like this and it …’
‘This reminds me…’
 Think aloud and relate things they know about the topic.
‘I know that …’
 Think aloud about the illustrations – the people, characters, their expressions and
dress, the background illustration and the clues all of these give regarding the
content of the text. (Picture walk)
 Think aloud about the clues this provides regarding the type of text, what the text
may be about, the purpose and the audience.
Shared Reading with your child could look like this:
Before Reading
Talk about the story to be read. The cover illustration and title will prepare your child for
the ideas and words they will come across in the story. Look and talk about the pictures
in the story to help your child build up a sequence of events.
During Reading
When your child makes a mistake or will not attempt a word, they need help. The way
you help is very important.
1.
Do not rush in when your child makes a mistake. See if they can correct it on
their own. Learning to self correct is a very important step as a reader. Ensure
you praise your child when they self correct (go back and fix a word).
2.
If your child fails to self correct, say to them – “Does that make sense?”
3.
If your child will not attempt a word, encourage them to:
- read to the end of the sentence
- think of a word that would make sense
- check that the word starts with the same sound as the one in the text.
After Reading
Discuss the story in a positive manner.
Independent Reading, is when your child simply reads a text by themselves, either out
loud or ‘in their head’.
Sustained Silent Reading is a strategy that we strongly encourage from Year 4. Below
are the guidelines that the staff at Rolleston State School follow for this activity.
Guidelines for Using Sustained Silent Reading Time
1. Students must read for the entire allotted reading period.
2. You must read a book (no magazines or newspapers where text competes with
pictures), preferably one that tells a story (e.g. novels, histories and biographies rather
than books of lists or facts where readers can’t sustain attention, build up speed and
fluency, or grow to love good stories.)
3. You must have a book in your possession when SSR times starts; this is the main
responsibility involved in coming prepared to class.
4. You may not talk or interpret others.
5. You must sit in your own chair.
6. Once seated, you must not get up until the end of S.S.R. time.
Prep-Year 3
Support
Documents
Early Childhood Reading Expectations
Demonstrates Concepts of Print:
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Understands top to bottom progression
Understands left to right page sequence
Demonstrates awareness of front and back of book
Knows how to turn pages in a book
Recognizes that print rather than pictures carries the message in classroom, home and
community
Recognizes a word as a unit of print, an awareness that letters are grouped to form
words and that words are separated by spaces
Demonstrates Alphabet Knowledge
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Identifies symbols/signs/labels/logos
Shows progress in associating the names of letters with their shape and sounds
Identifies at least 10 letters of the alphabet, especially those in their own name
Uses Reading Process Effectively
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Participates in language play (e.g., alliteration, rhyming, finger plays, and songs)
Uses language to describe personally meaningful experiences when talking with others
Demonstrates clarity of pronunciation when speaking in sentences of increasing length
Uses a variety of sources to build vocabulary
Shows increasing ability to discriminate and identify sounds in spoken language
* Shows growing awareness of beginning and ending sounds of words
Constructs Meaning From a Variety of Text
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Predicts what a story is about using illustrations
Predicts what might happen next
Demonstrates awareness of story elements
Participates in retelling of familiar stories and rhymes
Understands and follows simple directions
Demonstrates Effective Reading Behaviours
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Pretends to read books both with and without print
Joins in when being read a familiar text
Chooses materials for reading and listening
Responds to open-ended questions related to language, pictures and print
Asks questions about material that has been read, written or heard
How to Support Your Beginning Reader
Read with
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your child and talk about the:
Illustrations
Story
Words
Information
Help
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your child when they are reading by:
Giving them time to have a go at reading tricky words
Talking about the beginning of words
Pointing to the illustrations for clues about the meaning – DO NOT
cover the pictures!
 Telling them the words they can’t work out by themselves – They don’t
need to feel stressed when learning to read
 Talking about the tricky parts of words (point out groups of letters in
tricky words that make a sound they may not know
e.g. in the words enough, tough, and rough the -ough makes the
sound -uff
 Encouraging them
After reading:
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Ask your child to retell the story in their
own words
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Ask your child some questions about what
happened in
the story
e.g. - What was the boys name?
- What happened after…?
- How many …?
- When…. what did…do/say/react?
Discuss your childs thought/ideas that may have come up while reading
the book
What would they have done if …..?
What did they think about …?
How do they think the characters in the book felt when…? and
What part of the book makes them think that?
Make Reading Fun!!
Monday and Wednesday
Reading the book for the first time.
Step 1
(2mins)
Step 2
(2mins)
Step 3
(5-10min)
Step 4
(5mins)
Step 5
 Ask the students to read the title of the book or read it to
them
 Look at the picture on the front and predict what the book
could be about.
 Discuss what to do if they come to an unknown word (use
keys)
 Picture walk through the book taking turns to describe what
could be happening, not using the text yet.
 Your child reads the book.
 If they comes to an unknown word, encourage them to have
a go.
 If the child has tried and still can’t work out the word, help
them to sound it out or find small words within words ie.
explain how you worked out the word.
 If there are tricky words they do not understand, explain as
you go.
 Ask students to retell what happened in the story.
 Ask students 1 question from each of the pages. The
questions get harder with the hardest ones being on the last
page, students may need some help to answer. Eventually
they will be able to work out the answers themselves.
 IMPORTANT This step is a very important part of
reading. To be an effective reader, you must also
understand what you have read.
 Record your child’s reading in their reading diary.
Tuesday and Thursday
Reading the book for the second time.
Step 1
(5mins)
Step 2
(510mins)
Step 4
(5mins)
Step 5
 Ask your child to retell what the story is about.
 Discuss and find difficult words in the book.
 Ask what the problem or conflict was in the story and how it was
solved.
 Ask who the positive (good) and negative (bad) characters are.
 Ask students if there was a hidden message in the story or if
someone learnt a lesson.
 Discuss what to do if they come to an unknown word (use keys)
 Remind students that they need to focus on reading with fluency
(smoothly) and expression (changing their voice to suit what is
written).
 Read a page as an example without fluency and expression, then
re-read with expression.
 Students read the book.
 Ask students to retell what happened in the story.
 Ask students 1 question from each of the pages. The questions get
harder with the hardest ones being on the last page, students may
need some help to answer. Eventually they will be able to work out
the answers themselves.
 IMPORTANT
This step is a very important part of reading. To be an effective
reader, you must also understand what you have read.
 Record your child’s reading in their reading diary.
More Reading Hints: P-3
While your child will be engaged in a variety of reading activities at school, it is also
important to encourage your child to read outside the classroom.
Here are some more ideas that may help you support your child's reading development:
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talk with your child about the things they like to read - picture books, books about
dinosaurs, 'how-to-make' instructions, catalogues, signs, computer games
ask your child to retell their favourite stories
read with your child each day if you can - before bed, first thing in the morning,
whenever it is convenient for the family
ask questions while reading to your child to check they understand what they are
reading such as Why do you think that happened? What do you think will happen next?
and Why do you think the author included that part in the story?
give your child time when they get stuck on a word - take it slowly - encourage your
child to read on to get the overall meaning or tell them the word
let your child see you reading
read and write with your child in their first language
visit the local library and encourage your child to choose reading material that they will
enjoy
collect books and display reading materials in your home such as books, newspapers,
magazines
point out printed words found at home and in your child's local environment including
long, short, funny or interesting words
share with your child a range of electronic materials such as websites, email, text
messages, computer games
share with your child a range of visual texts such as photos, illustrations, cartoons,
comics
make books or other reading materials with your child about topics of interest or
shared experiences - a holiday photo album, a book about insects, signs for their
bedroom
create a special place for your child to read, write or draw
make a message board or space at home and encourage your child to read and leave
messages for other family members
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create word walls in places where your child spends a lot of time such as their
bedroom
carry a book or magazine with you when you are out - waiting at the doctor, waiting
for the bus.
Word-Attack Strategies
Word-attack strategies help students decode, pronounce, and understand unfamiliar
words. They help students attack words piece by piece or from a different angle. Model
and instruct students:
Use Picture Clues
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Look at the picture.
Are there people, objects, or actions in the picture that might make sense in the
sentence?
sh - op
Look for Chunks in the Word
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Look for familiar letter chunks. They may be sound/symbols, prefixes, suffixes,
endings, whole words, or base words.
Read each chunk by itself. Then blend the chunks together and sound out the word.
Does that word make sense in the sentence?
shop
shopping
Connect to a Word You Know
Think of a word that looks like the unfamiliar word.
Compare the familiar word to the unfamiliar word. Decide if the familiar word is a
chunk or form of the unfamiliar word.
Use the known word in the sentence to see if it makes sense. If so, the meanings
of the two words are close enough for understanding.
Reread the Sentence
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Read the sentence more than once.
Think about what word might make sense in the sentence. Try the word and see if
the sentence makes sense.
Keep Reading
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Read past the unfamiliar word and look for clues.
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If the word is repeated, compare the second sentence to the first. What word might
make sense in both?
Use Prior Knowledge
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Think about what you know about the subject of the book, paragraph, or sentence.
Do you know anything that might make sense in the sentence? Read the sentence
with the word to see if it makes sense.
Extension Ideas
Here are some extension reading activities that can be used to enhance your child’s literacy
development:
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Retell the story to a partner.
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Draw a poster advertising your book.
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Make a Word Search using 10 words from your book.
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Find 10 adjectives (describing words) in your book. Write them in your own sentences.
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Design a new cover for your book. Can you think of a better or different title?
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Change the ending of your story and write it down.
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Choose a little sentence from your book. Add some words of your own to make it longer and
more interesting.
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Write an acrostic poem using a name of a character from your book.
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Draw a picture of a character in the story and write a sentence about them underneath the
picture.
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Before you read your book, jot down some things you might read about in that book. When
you’ve read it, tick those things on your list that were in your book.
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Draw a picture of your favourite part in the story.
Look at the
picture.
Get the sound
ready on your lips.
Skip through the
word and read on.
cat
Look for little
Go back and reread the sentence. words hiding inside.
Sound the word
out.
Year 4-7
Support
Documents
Reading Hints: 4-7
As your child moves from the early years into the middle years of schooling, they are not
only 'learning to read' but 'reading to learn'. Here are some activities that may help you to
support your child as they become confident readers of a range of texts and topics:
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encourage your child to read every day, either independently or with you or a sibling congratulate them on their reading efforts
 encourage your child to locate and read a variety of materials that are of interest to
them such as:
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information books and other reading materials about a topic of ongoing
interest - the solar system or rainforest habitats
books by a favourite author
books from a favourite genre, for example, mystery novels
reading materials related to an interest outside of school, for example,
camping: 'how to' texts about camping; brochures and websites of
campgrounds; camping gear catalogues
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visit the local library regularly and use it as an opportunity to talk to your child about
their reading experience, for example, what they like or don't like to read; what is
difficult about reading; what is enjoyable about reading
 encourage your child to think and reflect on texts they read and view, for example,
Do you agree with what was written in that article? or What was the point/message in
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that television program?
subscribe to or borrow a magazine that interests your child
read some of the same books as your child and talk about characters, storylines and
themes
share reading materials and experiences that you enjoyed at a similar age
discuss the different reading materials that you currently read in your work, leisure
and family life
encourage your child to read a range of electronic materials such as websites, blogs,
emails
assist your child to use computer search engines - critically discuss which websites are
useful
encourage your child to read a range of visual texts such as diagrams, tables, graphs,
photos, cartoons and comics
read books that have been made into movies and discuss the similarities and
differences
share and discuss interesting parts of the newspaper, for example, cartoons, images
and sports results
encourage your child to think and reflect on texts they read and view, for example,
Do you agree with what was written in that article? or What was the point/message in
that television program?
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ask your child to assist with reading instructions and interpreting diagrams when
assembling new purchases
 support your child to build a personal book collection.
Active reading strategies
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Identifying the purpose for reading a text.
Using knowledge of the world and activating this knowledge during reading.
Connecting and comparing prior knowledge and experiences to the ideas presented
in the text.
Engaging with the visuals (including graphs, illustrations, labelled diagrams etc.) to
support or confirm text comprehension.
Making predictions about a text related to prior knowledge of the topic and text
structure.
Using a knowledge of text structures in a range of genre to prepare for reading a
text.
Rereading when meaning is lost.
Reading on to assist in the identification of an unknown word.
Using other decoding strategies such as segmenting and blending, breaking words
into onset and rime or syllables, relating the unknown word to known words with
similar graphophonic structure or related morphemes.
Slowing the reading rate when the text is more challenging.
Creating visual images of the ideas represented in the text while reading.
Monitoring understanding to ensure that meaning is maintained.
Self-questioning before, during and after reading and seeking answers.
Bringing together the information in the text and in the reader’s head to make
inferences.
Skimming – glancing through the text to gain an overview of the content.
Scanning – glancing through texts looking for specific information.
Developing knowledge of how to build vocabulary.
Summarising – focusing on the most important aspects of the text and recording
these main points in the reader’s own words.
Synthesizing – piecing together a range of information from across the text.
Understanding bias and the way writers may attempt to influence the reader
(evaluating).
Understanding how writers use language to create mood, emotion, and to
represent people and places in different ways (evaluating).
Reading Hints: 4-7
Questioning
It is essential that students have the opportunity to interact and engage with texts and
move beyond literal comprehension. They need to consider questions that require them to
deduce, infer, justify and evaluate.
Literal questions: repeating directly, or in own words what the text says.
e.g. Can you tell me what happened when/where/who? What are the main points in this
non fiction text?
Inferential questions: reading between the lines, drawing out conclusions which are
based on, but go beyond, the information given in the text.
e.g. Will Ryan stay or leave and what makes you think this?
Deductive questions: drawing conclusions from the information given throughout the
text.
e.g. Explain … using two or more points to justify this. Where does it imply that?
Justification: finding evidence in the text to justify responses.
e.g. What in the text makes you say that?
Evaluative questions: making critical judgements relating to the text.
e.g. Is this a successful piece of persuasive writing? What makes you think that? Does this
passage succeed in creating suspense? Why/How?
Discussion questions and statement prompts:
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What makes you think that?
What do you think?
What words give you that impression?
How do you feel about…?
Can you explain why…?
Do you agree with …'s opinion?
Do you like the bit where…?
I wonder if…
Is there anything that puzzles you?
I'm not sure what I think about… I wonder what the writer intended…
This bit reminds me of…
I would hate to have that happen to me - would you?
I like the way the writer has…
Are there any patterns you notice (e.g. familiar story structure, images)
I wonder why the writer has decided to…
Home Reading Records
Nights
Date Achieved
Teacher Signature
School Certificate
Awarded
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
225
250
275
300
How to fill out the reading record sheets.
Date
Title
31.3.11
The Little Hen
Parent Signature
Rating
(1-5)
Comments
Adult
Give the book an enjoyment
rating.
1 (didn’t enjoy) – 5 (loved it)
Adult – Read beautifully. Great
improvement.
Child – I liked this author.
NAME:______________________________
ROLLESTON STATE SCHOOL
Home Reading Records
Date
Title
Parent Signature
Rating
(1-5)
Comments
Congratulations
25 Nights Completed
Give to your teacher for recognition of your efforts.
NAME:______________________________
ROLLESTON STATE SCHOOL
Home Reading Records
Date
Title
Parent Signature
Rating
(1-5)
Comments
Congratulations
5o Nights Completed
Give to your teacher for recognition of your efforts.
NAME:_______________________________
ROLLESTON STATE SCHOOL
Home Reading Records
Date
Title
Parent Signature
Rating
(1-5)
Comments
Congratulations
75 Nights Completed
Give to your teacher for recognition of your efforts.
NAME:______________________________
ROLLESTON STATE SCHOOL
Home Reading Records
Date
Title
Parent Signature
Rating
(1-5)
Comments
Congratulations
100 Nights Completed
Give to your teacher for recognition of your efforts.
NAME:______________________________
ROLLESTON STATE SCHOOL
Home Reading Records
Date
Title
Parent Signature
Rating
(1-5)
Comments
Congratulations
125 Nights Completed
Give to your teacher for recognition of your efforts.
NAME:______________________________
ROLLESTON STATE SCHOOL
Home Reading Records
Date
Title
Parent Signature
Rating
(1-5)
Comments
Congratulations
150 Nights Completed
Give to your teacher for recognition of your efforts.
NAME:______________________________
ROLLESTON STATE SCHOOL
Home Reading Records
Date
Title
Parent Signature
Rating
(1-5)
Comments
Congratulations
175 Nights Completed
Give to your teacher for recognition of your efforts.
NAME:______________________________
ROLLESTON STATE SCHOOL
Home Reading Records
Date
Title
Parent Signature
Rating
(1-5)
Comments
Congratulations
200 Nights Completed
Give to your teacher for recognition of your efforts.