Helping with reading

Newquay please don't buy any stickers witout checking wth your DD first.
You will probably find the children have Reading Records and it is a good idea to look at the comments and ways of approval the school uses. If it's completely free style you could use your own, but they may have some.
Listen to the children read but also discuss the book or story with them asking them about what they enjoyed and what happened. It will depend on the age you are dealing with. If they are Year 3 some may be on the way to independent reading, they may have read a book or a few pages, then you have to discuss what happened, check they understand and remember, and ask about any difficult words.
Have fun and enjoy.

Stickers, especially cheap glittery ones could go against the schools green policy.

Stickers are a contentious issue.

Don’t use them without checking with the school first.

In fact, check the rewards policy before you do anything. Schools differ a lot in their approach.

Kate1949

The school supplied stickers.

Great idea about using school stickers. There are some of our parents who will bounce in to ask why their child isn’t reading to the teacher if their child says, “I got a sticker for reading to X today.”
Before I supplied them to helpers, one little girl took hers off, ‘because Mummy will be cross’.
Apart from that, enjoy it Newquay. You’ll be a valuable asset and your DGD will mention anything you need to know.

The school supplied stickers.

I used to do this helping 5 and 6 year olds. You don't need training. The child just brought their book to you and you listened to them read helping them work out the words. It was lovely. I also got asked to help out on school trips. I went to theatres, castles, museums etc with the children.

Thanks all of you for your helpful advice-I shall definitely get some stickers! I shall enjoy it; I always say I have infinite patience with people but very little with machines so should be ok!

My only concern at this is in every walk of life including hospitals and police. people are relying more and more on volunteers. People should rightly be paid for the jobs they do

I did this 40 years ago (was it really 40? )

Other mothers and I used to go into school on a voluntary basis; I went in once a week and listened to all the Y6s reading (my own DC were younger) and it was surprising to find the difference in reading skills.

I would check with your DGD what she is expecting you to do, what approach to take and which reading scheme they use.
Boosting a child's confidence in their reading proficiency is important.

I hope you enjoy it Newquay

But that's part of the job,genie - to help them feel that reading, and school in general, is part of their life.
Many children come from homes and families who are too busy, or have other reasons, not to be able to be involved in or understand. what goes on in school.
Valerie your point maybe an ideal but un realistic.
Also being a volunteer gives much pleasure to many people

I loved going into school to listen to children read when my kids were at school. Can't wait to do the same when grandkids start. It's just like listening to your own kids read. The teacher, in this case your dgd, will tell you what the expectations are. Just having the opportunity to read out loud to someone helps enormously. I made sure I dished out lots of praise to build confidence and to ensure it was a good experience. I also took sheets of stickers(glittery ones, dinosaurs etc etc) in which you can get cheaply and then the children picked one for doing a good job when they'd finished reading. Anything to make it a fun experience with positive associations. I helped in school a lot as a volunteer so I knew the system they used to teach reading. But my job was to be an enthusiastic listener! Have fun ?

I used to do this and it's very enjoyable. You don't really need any special skill, just patience, as you are only listening and not actually teaching. The hardest thing was keeping them on task, as the little girls in particular wanted to spend the time telling me all their news.

My only concern at this is in every walk of life including hospitals and police. people are relying more and more on volunteers. People should rightly be paid for the jobs they do. Do we build up a contingency of unpaid volunteers to off set funds? Where does it end? That is my concern about lovely people giving up their time to help.

Go ahead with it! When I was working as an EP about 30% of my referrals were for children who just needed someone to listen to them read one to one. plus abit of normal personal attention.
One primary school I went to started a project of inviting retirees to come into the school to talk about the old days. and to share books and reading with the children.
it gave pleasure and benefit to both oldies and children.

I would ask your DGD about how they've been taught to read (good phonics instruction I hope) and what the skill level will be of the children she'd like you to listen to.

If they have insecure reading skills I'd expect to be able to help with sounding out and blending unfamiliar words and checking vocabulary knowledge to help them to understand what they are reading. I know that you'd expect Y3s to be quite proficient, but I've worked with Y7s with very shaky skills.

I wouldn't expect to be asked to get less secure children to guess unfamiliar words from pictures or context as that is an absolutely pointless strategy.. Or to 'tell' them what an unfamiliar word 'says', they'll not remember it ..

But. as I say, pick your DGD' brains...

This was actually part of my job for several years. I loved it. I hope you do, too

Terrific. Good luck.