Reading From Home
Literacy is one of the building blocks of your child’s education. At Wairakei teachers run varied, motivating programmes catering to literacy needs. From home there is still plenty you can do to support your child’s literacy development in reading.
Literacy is simply communicating through listening, speaking, reading and writing. There are plenty of fun ways you can interact with your children at home that require no special tools. All you need is you and your child interacting in play and conversation. Creative activities are brilliant for brain development, but there are many different ways to get involved.
Lego, soft toys, tea parties, blocks, books, paper, felts...there are many ways to enjoy storytelling.
Studyladder:
Students at Wairakei School use studyladder accounts (Year 3 - 6). This is free while at school and during school hours. If you create a parent account at home, your child can access studyladder for free during school hours. Teachers can set tasks for students to follow (often used for spelling and phonics activities at school) or they can look at a range of different learning tasks available. If students are unsure of their usernames and passwords, you can email their literacy teacher for help.
Here are some ways you can encourage reading while at home.
Reading
Study ladder - you child has a password that can be used during school hours
Home reading challenge
Seesaw activities - Set by Wairakei teachers
Cook something following a recipe
Read to your family
Listen to parents read their favourite book
Illustrate a story you’ve written
Make a video of you reading your favourite book and upload to seesaw
Storyline online - Listen to stories
Books and Reading CCC Libraries
Free interactive NZ stories in English, Maori & NZ Sign Language for your iPad or iPhone. Look at the website first to select stories you would like to save as an app.
Free Audio Books
Radio New Zealand – Treasure Chest: https://www.radionz.co.nz/collections/storytime-treasure-chest
Radio New Zealand – Not for Children (Young adult) https://www.radionz.co.nz/collections/not-for-children
These two above have been revamped to Storytime https://storytime.rnz.co.nz/
Free audio books: http://www.scholastic.com/parents/blogs/scholastic-parents-raise-reader/free-audio-books-and-why-you-should-try-them
Loyal Books http://www.loyalbooks.com/genre/Children
Learning Lift Off: audio books for kids: https://www.learningliftoff.com/free-audio-books-for-kids/