There are many different strategies involved in teaching a student to read. As with most things, a holistic approach (where everyone participates) works best. Research shows that from a very early age (1 or 2 years) a child who is regularly read to (5 times a week) by someone who enjoys the task, is given the best possible start to learning to read. From the very dawn of time, we were storytellers. We told stories to entertain, inform and persuade and in listening to these stories, we were able to interpret, identify and relate to our world. Not surprisingly, these are the three focus areas of the Australian Curriculum, English.

If you have read to your child 5 nights a week since they were very young then you have given them a great start, but your job isn’t finished. If you haven’t then it is never too late. I know of a father who sat at the end of the bed of his teenagers, just before lights out and he read Harry Potter or JRR Tolkien. This is the next step to teaching students how to be successful readers, role model it. If your children don’t see that you think reading is important then they are less likely to believe it.

 As a parent, you are the first teacher of your child, however, that does not mean that you have to teach them everything. Just like most professions, there are specific strategies that have been modified and adapted and are best used by experts. I once had someone say to me, I can teach my child that, I went to school. To which I gently responded, I have travelled many times on an airplane but taking on the role of the pilot is a different matter.

 Another strategy to support your child is to listen to them read. Be flexible, if they are tired or irritable then you might alternate a page, or they may read silently and then tell you about what they read. Every student’s needs are different. If you are unsure then ask the expert, their teacher. At St John Vianney’s we teach students that letters make sounds and when we combine letters, they make different sounds. The letter A’s in AUSTRALIA both sound differently. Our Soundwaves and Reading programs give students strategies to decode and interpret, helping them to build their knowledge of the English language and how it works.

There are some strategies that we use at school, which can be transferable to home; however, overuse can lead to boredom and ineffective results. In most NAPLAN results for Year 5 student’s over the years, the level of comprehension has been good. There will be times where your child attaches themselves to a particular series and this is great. However, it is just as important for them to read widely. Books, magazines, comics, newspapers, reading material from the internet, and even things from the world around us, such as street signs, timetables, and road maps. Balancing fiction and non-fiction also broadens their understanding and they can make connections and meaning with the world around them. Being a good reader often enables a student to develop fluency when writing and speaking; opportunities keep growing for them.

If your child is struggling with their reading selections at home, please contact your child’s teacher or our experienced Librarian, Ms. Sam Heath. St John Vianney’s library is full of exceptional literature for the students to borrow. Moving forward, we will begin our morning Reading Club and in addition to this Parents and Carers will have the opportunity in the future for family borrowing.

Joanne Reed

Assistant Principal