P.A.C.T. (Parents and Children Together)

Each child receives individual reading targets which are developed through continual teacher assessment. These targets assist teachers in their planning of activities and selection of texts in guided reading. For parents, they are also used to support their role in supporting the children’s reading development as the targets are sent home via PACT books (Reception) or PACT sheets (Y1-6).

It is anticipated that children will read to parents or guardians on evenings specified on the homework timetable which each child receives at the beginning of each year.

In Reception, reading targets, teacher comments and parent comments are placed into PACT books which are kept with the child’s PACT book in their PACT bag. These are taken home each night and must be returned to school the following day so that the children can read in school too.

In Year 1 and Year 2, the children receive a PACT sheet, similar to the PACT book but it assists the teacher in observing the children’s reading habits and selection of books, thus supporting further reading targets which might include developing the children’s knowledge of different authors. The sheets contain the child’s current targets, teacher comment and parent comment. The sheets are given to the children each Monday and are kept with the child for one week. During the week, parents are expected to monitor/hear their child read and, support the acquisition of their reading targets which are being taught within guided reading. The PACT sheets must be signed by the parent and returned to school the following Monday when their next sheet will be given out.

In KS2, the PACT sheet develops a genre focus, allowing the teacher to monitor the range of reading which the children are covering independently. As with Year 1 and Year 2, the teacher can then develop targets to support the child in reading a range of fiction, non-fiction, poetry or plays within a variety of genres. The sheet contains three weekly grids and responsibility for their completion lies with the child. For each week that is signed daily by the parent, the child gains one success point. Upon completion of the PACT sheet, the children return it to school. It is replaced with a new one, containing the child’s targets and teacher comments on the progress and achievement of the child’s reading during their guided reading sessions.

Co-ordinator - Mr S Burrell