Literacy and Numeracy

Literacy Information

How can I help my son with his reading?

Reading for Talk is a brilliant way to encourage reading with your child.

It is really important that your son reads at home, with you. Not only will reading at home with your son help his learning, but it is a really good way for you to build your communication skills with each other through the discussion that reading generates.

If your son is a reluctant reader, go to the library/bookshop or surf the internet together to find something he might like to read. Discussing the books you both might enjoy reading together is much better than getting into an argument about what you think your child should be reading.

Sometimes, some boys prefer to read non-fiction texts and magazines. This is absolutely fine, and will help you to generate a discussion about what you are reading.

The most important thing to do when reading is to talk about the content of the book. You can even pretend you did not know some of the facts that you might be reading about – pretending to learn along with your child will put him at his ease.

Ask your child what specific words mean as you come across them – try using a dictionary (using your Smartphone is another way to engage his interest as you both look up words together). You can also ask your son how characters or people might be feeling about certain situations that arise out of the book that you are reading – engaging his emotional intelligence as you encourage him to think about others is really essential to his general awareness of the world and his understanding of it.

Audio books are another wonderful resource that you can use to engage your child in a story. Stories were always traditionally told before people started to write them down. Your library will have a good selection, and there are thousands available online. You can listen to them in the car together – but remember to talk about what you are hearing at some point.

At Key Stage 4, your son will be studying Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’, Charles Dickens’ ‘ A Christmas Carol’ and Willy Russell’s ‘Blood Brothers’. Buying the book for your son and reading it together will really help your son to learn about the plot and characters. Encourage him to talk about the issues that the book raises and ensure that he reads the book regularly – reading the book once is definitely not enough!

There are thousands of online websites to help you with your son’s reading, and we of course are happy to support you in school. If you do require any further help, please do not hesitate to contact Ms Johnson, the Director of Literacy, at Johnsons@ntc.kent.sch.uk.

Here is a list of the most popular books being read by our students at NTC at Key Stage 4:

• Jack London- White Fang
• Michael Lawrence- Ryan’s Brain
• Michael Lawrence- Maggot Pie
• J.K Rowling- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• J.K Rowling- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
• J.K Rowling- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• J.K Rowling- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• J.K Rowling- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Danny Dyer-  Straight up Autobiography
• Top Gear 100 Fastest Car
• Top Gear 100 Maddest Cars
• Maggie Stiefvater -Raven Boys
• Lemony Snicket- Series of unfortunate events series
• Simon Levay- When Science goes wrong
• Michael Morpugo -Private Peaceful
• J.R.R Tolkien -The Hobbit-There and back again
• J.R.R Tolkien – Lord of the Rings the fellowship of the ring
• J.R.R Tolkien  – Lord of the Rings the two towers
• J.R.R Tolkien  – Lord of the Rings Return of the King
• Peter Kay Auto Biography
• C.S. Lewis – The Lion Witch & the Wardrobe
• Suzanne Collins – The Hunger Games-
• Suzanne Collins – The Hunger Games-Catching Fire
• Suzanne Collins –  The Hunger Games-Mocking Bird
• Garth Nix – Confusion of Princes
• Paulo Coelho -The Alchemist
• Nick Arnold – Horrible Science Deadly Diseases
• Andy McNab – Recoil
• Roald Dahl – Boy
• James Dashner series – The Maze Runner
• Chris Ryan – Kill Zone
• Best Book of useless Information
• Ultimate book of useless information
• Roald Dahl- Going Solo
• Machine Gunners
• Steve Cole – Z-Rex
• Jeff Kinney- Diary of a Wimpy Kid
• Michelle Paver – Wolf Brother
• David Beckham-My Side
• Chris Ryan – Crossfire
• Andy Mcnab-  Recoil
• Chris Ryan- The one that got away
• Dan Brown – The Davinci Code
• R.L Stine – Goosebumps
• Stephanie Meyer- Twilight Trilogy

In addition,  click the below link for a recommended reading list that offers some further ideas as they are both a book and a film – something you can read and watch together!

Recommended Reading List

 Contact

If you require any more information, please do not hesitate to contact Ms Johnson, the Director of Literacy, at Johnsons@ntc.kent.sch.uk.