Reading
Early Years (EYFS)- Phonological Awareness and Enjoyment
Key Focus
Language development, listening skills, enjoyment of books
Key Strategies
-Read aloud every day (even short sessions count)
-Let your child choose books—this builds motivation
-Talk about pictures (“What can you see?” “What’s happening?”)
-Repeat favourite books (this builds confidence and memory)
-Sing nursery rhymes and play sound games (supports phonics later)
-Make books part of routines (bedtime stories are powerful)
-Model reading aloud
-Use ‘robot talk’ to sound out words like c-a-t
Helpful websites
BBC Tiny Happy People – speech and early communication support
BookTrust – booklists and tips for sharing stories
Hungry Little Minds – simple activities to build language
Little Wandle Specific Support
How to say the sounds and form the letters (under the support for phonics tab):
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
How we teach blending and tricky words (under the how we teach tab):
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
How to support your child with reading at home (under the books coming home tab):
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
Key Stage 1 (KS1)- Decoding & Building Fluency Confidence
Key Focus
Phonics, decoding, early fluency, confidence
Key Strategies
-Listen to your child read daily, but also read to them
-Practise phonics (blending sounds to read words)
-Sound out unfamiliar words
-Re-read books to build fluency and confidence
-Don’t rush corrections—give them time to work it out
-Ask simple questions:
“What happened?”
“Who is your favourite character?”
-Make reading fun (games, silly voices, acting out stories)
Helpful websites
PhonicsPlay – interactive phonics games
Oxford Owl – free ebooks and phonics guidance
Topmarks – early reading games
Little Wandle Specific Support
How to say the sounds and form the letters (under the support for phonics tab):
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
How we teach blending and tricky words (under the how we teach tab):
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
How to support your child with reading at home (under the books coming home tab):
https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
Key Stage 2 (KS2)- Comprehension & Stamina
Key Focus
Fluency, comprehension, stamina, enjoyment
Key Strategies
-Continue reading aloud together (even confident readers benefit)
-Ask deeper questions:
“Why did the character do that?”
“What do you think will happen next?”
-Encourage a range of reading (fiction, non-fiction, comics, magazines)
-Explore word meanings
-Find evidence for answers in the book
-Build reading into daily life (recipes, instructions, signs)
-Create a quiet reading time at home
-Let them abandon books they don’t enjoy (this keeps motivation high)
Helpful websites
BBC Bitesize – comprehension activities
National Geographic Kids – engaging non-fiction reading
BookTrust – age-appropriate book recommendations
