St Declan’s N.S encourages reading as a life long skill. We promote reading as a fun activity. Parents are asked to participate in their children’s reading also.
In Senior infant, parents and children are asked to participate in the paired reading programme for an eight week period. Each night children will select a new book to read aloud with an adult at home.

What is Paired/Shared Reading?
Paired Reading is a partnership between you and your child. It brings you the parent , your child and the book to a shared reading experience, one which is both enjoyable and successful.

How does Paired Reading Work?
You and your child read the same story aloud together, at the same time. This makes the initial steps painless and enjoyable!!!.
There are two stages in Paired Reading which gradually merge into each other-Reading Together and Letting Go.

Reading Together
1. Your child selects a book that they like.
2. Discuss the book that is chosen.
3. Invite your child to read along with you…….this will give your child confidence and security.

Letting Go
1. After a period of enjoyable reading together, you are ready to let go…….
2. Try the following approach when you feel your child is confident.
3. Gradually lower your voice during Paired Reading.
4. Allow your child’s voice to dominate.
5. Begin to drop out from the reading.
6. Help if the child gets a word wrong or begins to struggle with a word.
7. Continue reading with your child until you feel they are ready to continue reading on their own.
8.Then drop out again.

Parents from Ms Molloy, Ms Doran and Ms Mooney came in on Wednesday the 13th of January for a meeting with the three Senior Infant teachers about how to implement this programme at home.