English - Reading

At Hartley Primary Academy, the English National Curriculum aims underpin the planning of reading and this ensures a broad and balanced curriculum that is progressive throughout the key stages. Additionally, planning and teaching are also closely linked to the PYP, where teachers match their current inquiry themes to interesting reading materials and class reader books which support our children’s learning. Reading skills are taught in discrete, phonics and reading sessions and are then implemented across the curriculum, ensuring children are applying what they have learnt.

Specific Strategies we implement to provide children with the best possible chance at learning to read and developing a love of reading:

Phonics: In EYFS and KS1, children will have daily Phonics sessions following the Anima Phonics scheme. Please click on the 'Phonics' tab for more information.

Whole class reading lessons: In both KS1 and KS2, children will recieve at least three, short reading lessons per week. This will be to develop a certain reading skill (based around the Reading Domain Dogs: Vocabulary Victor; Rex Retriever; Sequencing Suki; Inference Iggy and Predicting Pip). As well as this, there will also be a comprehension lesson where multiple skills are rehearsed.

Interventions: We regularly assess reading ages, comprehension skills and fluency to ensure children receive any additional support they may need. Throughout the school reading interventions are put in place to provide extra opportunities for children to develop their reading skills. Children may take part in 1:1 reading sessions where they can share their book with an adult; 1:1 phonics interventions in order to pick up on any sounds they may not know or to develop their blending skills, or they may be part of small group interventions which aim to close the gap with children who are all at a similar level.

Home reading: Every child takes a reading book home daily and we expect parents and carers to complete a home reading diary to record when they have read at home, ideally daily. For those developing their phonic skills, they will take a book matched to their current phonic ability. For those working beyond this, children are able to select their own reading book, with support from adults if required, based on their Accelerated Reader level.

We believe that reading is an integral skill to learn and we strive to have a partnership between school and home so that this continues seamlessly. As well as a levelled reading books, children are also invited to take home a book, which promotes reading for pleasure, from our school library once a week. These books are chosen solely by the children based on their interests, and have inspired our children to widen their book choices. As the child moves through the school, the amount they try to read each night should increase. In EYFS, sharing a book with your child for ten minutes will help them greatly. In Year One pupils should aim to read (or share a book) for 10 minutes. In Years 2 and 3 the target is 15 minutes and in Years 4, 5 and 6 it is 20 minutes.

We expect all children to read at least five times per week and for this to be recorded in their Reading Records. These are then handed in to class teachers on a Monday morning. We use a certificate system to reward children for their home reading and each teacher selects a child who is the class ‘Reader of the Week’. Children are presented with a certificate and this is celebrated on our website.

Accelerated Reader: As of January 2023, we have started using the Accelerated Reader programme for those children in Year 2 and above. The AR programme gives a level to every book, both in our classrooms and in our library. When the children choose a book, they scan it into their AR account - this will tell them the level of the book (and therefore if it is age appropriate). There are online quizzes and tests after reading the texts that children can then complete and earn points from.

Scholastic Book Fair: This event raises money to enable us to purchase more books for our children and also gives our children exposure to a range of current authors and texts.