At The Castle School, we believe that reading, writing, oracy, and numeracy are the foundations of success across all subjects. Students make the strongest progress when school and home work together to support all of the above.

You do not need to be an expert teacher to help your child. Small, regular actions at home can make a significant difference to confidence, achievement and future opportunities.

Supporting Reading at Home

Reading is one of the most important things a young person can do to improve their learning.

Students who read regularly are more likely to:

• Develop a wider vocabulary.

• Improve their comprehension skills.

• Become more confident learners.

• Achieve well across the curriculum.

• Enjoy greater success in exams.

How you can help

• Encourage your child to read daily.

• Ask them about what they are reading.

• Read alongside them where appropriate.

• Encourage them to borrow books from the school library.

• Support completion of Sparx Reader homework.

• Discuss new words and their meanings.

• Model reading yourself whenever possible.

Questions you could ask

• What happened in today's tutor time reading?

• What new words have you learnt?

• What do you think might happen next?

• What is the main message of the text?

Supporting Vocabulary Development

A strong vocabulary helps students understand lessons, access exam questions and communicate effectively.

You can help by:

• Encouraging curiosity about new words.

• Talking about unfamiliar vocabulary encountered in books, television programmes and everyday life.

• Discussing word origins and meanings.

• Encouraging students to use ambitious vocabulary in conversation.

A few minutes of discussion each week can have a significant impact on language development.

Reading for Enjoyment

Students do not have to read challenging novels all the time. Reading for enjoyment can include:

• Fiction

• Non-fiction

• Magazines

• Newspapers

• Graphic novels

• Biographies

• Audiobooks

• Song Lyrics

• Recipes

The most important thing is that students read regularly and enjoy what they are reading.

Supporting Writing at Home

Good writing allows students to communicate their understanding clearly and effectively.

Ways to help

• Encourage your child to plan before writing.

• Ask them to read their work aloud.

• Encourage proofreading for spelling and punctuation.

• Discuss homework tasks before they start writing.

• Encourage the use of subject-specific vocabulary.

Helpful questions

• Have you answered the question fully?

• Can you explain your ideas in more detail?

• Have you used key vocabulary?

• Have you checked your spelling and punctuation?

Supporting Oracy at Home

Communication is a key life skill.

Students who are confident speakers often find it easier to explain ideas, participate in lessons and develop positive relationships.

You can help by:

• Having regular conversations at home.

• Asking your child to explain what they have learnt.

• Discussing current events and topics of interest.

• Encouraging them to justify their opinions.

• Listening actively and asking follow-up questions.

Supporting Numeracy at Home

Numeracy is about much more than maths lessons. Students regularly use mathematical thinking in everyday life.

Everyday numeracy opportunities

• Calculating discounts while shopping.

• Comparing prices.

• Reading timetables.

• Measuring ingredients when cooking.

• Estimating distances and travel times.

• Managing pocket money or budgeting.

Supporting Sparx Maths

Please encourage your child to:

• Complete their homework weekly.

• Seek help when they are stuck.

• Show resilience when solving problems.

• Explain their mathematical thinking aloud.

Useful links for parents

GOV.UK – 10 Top Tips for Parents to Support Reading

National Literacy Trust – Early Years Literacy Support

Twinkl – 15 Ways to Encourage Reading at Home

BookTrust – Getting Children Reading

Taunton Library

Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)

National Literacy Trust