Help Your Child

You can use the information here to support your child's learning at home.

PHONICS & READING

You can visit our English subject page --- click here --- for ways to help your child with their phonics and reading.

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How to say the 44 sounds of the English phonic code

List of the 44 Phonemes

Oxford Owl Oxford Owl is an award winning free website with 250 free tablet friendly e-books and activities to help you support your children's learning, providing guidance that is age specific.

Click below for an extensive reference list of words and made up words containing the Phonemes (sounds) from Phase 5 that all Year 1 children are expected to be able to decode for reading.

Phase 5 Real and Alien Words sample words

Key Stage 2 - Questions to ask your child when reading fiction together

General (before reading)

What is the title of the story?
Who is the author?
Who is the illustrator?
Can you predict what might happen in the story by looking at the blurb?
Do you think you will enjoy this book? Why/why not?

Character exploration

Who is the main character?
Who are the other characters?
How has the author described the character?
Does this give you any more information about what kind of person they are? Eg kind, selfish, jolly
Would you like to get to know them? Why/why not?
Why do you think the character reacted in the way that they did in the story?
Would you have reacted in the same way?
How does the character feel about what is happening to them?
Can you point to some sentences in the text that help you find this out?
How would you feel if you were that character?

Comprehension (needs to be adapted to fit particular story)

Explain what has happened in the story so far in your own words
What issue or dilemma are the character’s facing?
Why has this happened?
Describe the surroundings as you imagine them. What information from the story did you use to help you?
Can you predict what might happen on the next page/in the next chapter?
How has the story developed since the beginning of the book?
When the author writes…………, what do you think they mean?
When the character says………, what do you think they mean?
Why is there an exclamation mark at the end of this sentence?

Exploring own preferences

Did you enjoy the story?
How does the book make you feel?
Have you read any stories with similar themes/issues?
Have you ever experienced anything like what has happened in the story?

Vocabulary extension

Can you think of another word for …………… (eg happy=joyful)
Have you read any words that you don’t understand?
Can you work out what they mean by looking at the rest of the sentence?
Can you spot any words that rhyme with…………?
How many others can you think of?
How has the author described the character? Pick out any words or phrases that really help you to paint a picture in your mind.

MATHS

This booklet is designed to aid your understanding of the way your child will be taught to calculate, in order to help you support your child more effectively with calculations and at home. It has been written by Maths leaders in the Tower Learning Community of which Bruton Primary School is a member.

How to teach calculations

Abacus A digital learning space for pupils, where teachers can allocate work.

SPELLING

How to support with spellings?

Write the words in the air and on each other’s backs, in colour and put up in child’s bedroom.
Put the words into sentences.
Look up words in dictionary to find out the meaning.
Use look, cover, say, write and check technique.
Repeat out loud.

WALKING TO SCHOOL SAFELY

Below is a copy of the presentation that Mrs Dowdle used in her walking to school safely assembly, you may want to use this when you discuss walking to school with your child.

Walking to School Safely