Reading

INTENT

We value reading as a crucial life skill and aim to inspire our pupils to see themselves as readers who seek out reading material for both pleasure and purpose. Our approach to reading is based on an emphasis on the teaching of phonics; once this skill is embedded, we extend and develop each child’s reading skills. High quality phonics teaching using our systematic synthetic phonics programme (Little Wandle) from the outset ensures children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read as they move through the school . Our current focus on fluency will ensure a smooth transition from small group Little Wandle sessions to whole class reading lessons during which, supported by our use of Literacy Shed VIPERS, pupils are exposed to rich discussion about a wide range of texts. Teaching children to read is of utmost importance with our principal aim being to create ‘readers’ and, therefore, we work hard to promote a culture of reading for pleasure. Ultimately, we want our children to read with fluency, expression and understanding so that they develop a lifelong love of reading.  

Phonics and Early Reading

We teach reading through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised which is a systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programme validated by the Department for Education.  Please see our 'Phonics' page for further information.

Children learn how to ‘read’ the sounds in words and how those sounds can be written down. This is essential for reading, but it also helps children learn to read and spell well.   Please click on this link to access the ‘for parents’ section of the Little Wandle website. https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/

The children also practice reading (and spelling) ‘tricky words’, such as ‘they',  'you' and ‘said’.

Once children can blend sounds together to read words, they practise reading books that match the phonics and the ‘tricky words’ they know. They start to believe they can read and this does wonders for their confidence. 

IMPLEMENTATION

Our main phonics reading scheme in EYFS and Y1 is Collins Big Cat Phonics for Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revision.  These books are carefully matched to the children's secure phonic knowledge and each reading practice session has a clear focus so that the demands of the session do not overload the children's working memory.  Reading sessions focus on three key reading skills:


For those pupils who are not yet secure in their phonic knowledge, we continue to teach reading in this way. We have a large range of decodable books in addition to Big Cat Phonics for our developing readers.  These include:


Each week , children select a reading for pleasure book from our well-stocked class libraries. Additionally, we have a large collection of Story Sacks for our younger pupils to share at home.  


In Reception and Year 1, children have daily phonics lessons. In  addition, children are supported with the development of their reading through focused group reading practice sessions.  As pupils move into Year 2, whole class guided reading is introduced. Regular assessment ensures that any gaps in pupils' phonic knowledge are identified and 'keep-up' interventions are put in place.  Children experiencing continued difficulties may require an individual educational support plan.  Please see Special Educational Needs for more information.


In Key Stage 2, children continue whole class reading sessions which continue to develop fluency and deepen understanding. A reading spine has been created using ‘the 5 plagues of reading’ to ensure our pupils are exposed to a wide range of texts. This is a working document so we can ensure our children are being exposed to exciting new texts containing diverse characters and that teachers are committed to the texts they share. Non-fiction texts are selected to link to our wider curriculum. Literacy Shed + VIPERS discussion guides are used to support rich and varied discussion alongside fluency practise. 

Summative tests (PIRA) are used termly to measure progress, identify learning gaps and plan next steps for teaching.  


We place great value on developing reading for pleasure with reading cafes, storytelling sessions, book fairs and virtual author visits taking place throughout the year. Teachers work hard to promote and share reading material to ensure pupils broaden their reading diet. Class libraries are well thought and out and include a large range of fiction and non-fiction books and other reading material. Books are rotated regularly and often selected to match current learning across the curriculum.  Teachers regularly read to children to broaden pupils' reading experiences, inspire discussion, extend vocabulary and comprehension, as well as supporting their writing.  


We recognise the vital importance of pupils reading at home and all pupils, including those pupils who are ‘free readers’ are still expected to read at home, either to a family member or independently. 

Reading skills continually develop through the wider curriculum as children are encouraged to read and research from high quality texts in other curriculum areas, using their comprehension skills to acquire knowledge.

IMPACT

By the end of KS2, we expect our pupils to: