In Term 1, we will be reading 'Stig of the Dump' by Clive King as our guided reading text. First published in 1963, Stig of the Dump is a classic children's novel about a young boy called Barney who encounters a strange cave-dwelling creature called Stig. Stig takes Barney on a series of fantastic adventures into prehistoric times.

To support us with our writing, we will be reading and using 'How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth' by Michelle Robinson, 'I was born i the Stone Age' by Michael Rosen and 'Stone Age Boy' by Satoshi Kitamura. We will be writing: a free verse poem,  a set of instructions, a diar6y entry and a personal recount.  

(Click on the pictures to enlarge them)

Reading

In school we use the "VIPERS" approach in all our reading. At the bottom of this page there is a useful document of question prompts to help support your child's reading comprehension at home.  

Reading at Home

In Year 3 we use the Accelerated Reader programme for our home reading books. We know that reading is a skill and the best way to get better at it and understand more of what we read is to practise. Children have the opportunity to read for 15 minutes per day in school for enjoyment and they should read daily at home for at least 20 minutes.

Children are given a ZPD which is the book range children can choose books from in our school reading scheme. You will notice this in their reading records.

When children finish reading their book at home, they should complete a short book review in their reading record. They then need to bring their book into school the next day to complete an Accelerated Reader quiz. Quizzes must be completed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays or within 48 hours of finishing the book. The quiz will check your child’s comprehension of the book they have read. Children then earn points from their quiz based on the words read and the score they receive for their comprehension. A score of 80% or higher considers children to have understood what they have read.  If your child finishes their book before a quizzing day, make sure they re-read the book.  Repetition makes your child more familiar with the book.

How you can help

Children should read every day. This could be with an adult, older sibling or independently. Children should be asked questions about what they have read to ensure they have a good comprehension of the text. You can use the VIPERS question prompts that we use in school to help create questions.

Encourage children to write their own reflection of the book in their reading records. 
Ensure your child brings their reading book in everyday and that you note in their Reading Records when they have read at home.

Please also encourage children to record any other reading opportunities they have engaged with at home. This may include texts such as reading a favourite book of their own, comics, newspapers or recipes. The possibilities are endless!