If you are lucky enough to teach primary-aged children in the leafy suburbs, you probably won't have experienced the frustration of many of us in more socially deprived areas who find it is often an uphill struggle to get busy parents to listen to their child reading at home on a regular basis.
If you are wondering what you can do to promote such parental involvement, you may like to try the simple reward system that I came up with as a result of being in this situation and which has worked successfully in my classes. Whilst there will always be events, from time to time, which prevent children from reading their reading book, the system that I shall describe can dramatically increase the percentage of children reading regularly to their parents.
As we didn't have a set format for our children's Reading Diary, I designed my own template which was then adopted throughout my school. I realise that most schools have their own Reading Diaries but feel free to use this template if you need one. To make a Reading Diary booklet for the school year, you will need to photocopy ten double-sided sheets for each child. Fold these in half, hole punch them and bind with treasury tags to create an A5 booklet. I recommend protecting the booklet with a laminated cover.
I then built up a collection of small toys in good condition, suitable for both boys and girls. These come from various sources, school fairs or donations from supportive parents and friends. The toys go in the 'Goodie Box'. Teachers with older Key Stage 2 children may prefer to have more age appropriate prizes such as stationery equipment.
As soon as reading books have been distributed at the beginning of the school year I explain to the children that I expect them to practise their reading book or reading activities every school night. At the same time I ask all the parents to record when their children have read at home in their child's Reading Diary. Nothing different here you may say, but also let both parent and pupil know that the child will receive a 'Chance Card' each time there is a parental entry in the diary indicating that the child has read at home. This can just be a signature as I realise not everyone wants to write comments every day. The chance card is just a small ticket which the child writes his or her name on the back. The ticket then goes into a basket for a prize draw from the 'Goodie Box' on Friday afternoons where three lucky children go home with a 'new' toy. You are welcome to download my page of Chance Cards which can be photocopied and cut up for ready for distribution.
The benefit of this is that parents usually don't want their children to miss out. Some children actually ask their parents if they can read to them so that they can get a 'Chance Card'. Of course there are odd times when it is obvious parents have filled in the diary when a child hasn't read, but it quickly becomes apparent when you hear the child read.
For the system to work successfully the diaries need to be checked every day. I find the quickest way is to do this at the end of our reading session. Everyone gets out their diary open at the appropriate page and I whizz round giving out the 'Chance Cards' and copius praise when there is an entry. If there is a blank space in someone's book I ask the child why he or she hasn't read and show disappointment if there seems to be no apparent reason. I also draw a line in pen across the empty space so the family know I have checked the diary. By doing this it becomes more obvious when a child hasn't read.
It does take a few minutes to go round but it is time well spent as we all know what a positive impact reading at home has on a child's progress.
One important thing to remember is that if you are expecting parents to write in the Reading Diary, it is vital that you and your teaching assistant write in the diary every time each of you hear the child read.
I always find it is a good idea to secretly have three winners in mind for the Friday 'Lucky Dip' to make sure all pupils win an equal number of times, something that I didn't find when I left it purely to chance. Simply pull each ticket out, look at it and announce the 'winner'. For the younger children in particular it is a very exciting moment.