By the time children reach Year 6, they are often fluent readers and do not require the same support to read as they did when they were younger. This often means children quietly read for pleasure in a comfortable space. 

However, this means children can need extra reminders to develop good reading practises and time to develop their ability to read aloud every now and then. 

Please support your child at home by ensuring you build in time for them to read daily and, at times, ask them to read aloud to an adult or to a younger child (e.g. a bedtime story such as the Gruffalo - young children's stories are great for them to build their storyteller style.)

In school we teach the children to read by:

• continuing to read and discuss an increasingly wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books or textbooks 
• reading books that are structured in different ways and reading for a range of purposes 
• increasing their familiarity with a wide range of books, including myths, legends and traditional stories, modern fiction, fiction from our literary heritage, and books from other cultures and traditions
• recommending books that they have read to their peers, giving reasons for their choices 
• identifying and discussing themes and conventions in and across a wide range of writing 
• making comparisons within and across books 
• learning a wider range of poetry by heart
• preparing poems and plays to read aloud and to perform, showing understanding through intonation, tone and volume so that the meaning is clear to an audience
• discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, considering the impact on the reader
• distinguish between statements of fact and opinion 
• retrieve, record and present information from non-fiction
• participate in discussions about books that are read to them and those they can read for themselves, building on their own and others’ ideas and challenging views courteously
• explain and discuss their understanding of what they have read, including through formal presentations and debates, maintaining a focus on the topic and using notes where necessary
• provide reasoned justifications for their views.
• understand what they have read by using the readings skills: understanding vocabulary, structure and meaning; making inferences; retrieving information; predicting; summarising; and explaining. 

Recommended reads for your child's age group - updated regularly - can be found on the following websites or visit your local library.