At William Davies we use the Reciprocal Reading approach in both small groups and on a whole class level. Teachers also teach WDPS Core Reading Skills in a whole class context: 

• Predicting - Making connections - Asking questions - Evaluating - Inferring - Summarising - Clarifying - Fluency

Elements of these are taught throughout the school from Nursery and Reception to year 6.

Children change their reading books from their class and the school library or books are issued from phonics sessions. 

Children are read to daily by the teacher – class readers are selected by the teacher, often with class input into the choice. 

ERIC (Everyone Read In Class): ERIC time occurs daily where children are read to (Ys 1, 2 and 3) or read independently (years 3, 4, 5 and 6) for 15 minutes.

Children are encouraged to read at home independently; recording their reading and other activities in their Home-School record. They are also encouraged to take part in Read Together – an initiative designed to promote parents and children reading together. Read Together is further promoted through the Read Together Reading Cafe (termly parent and child reading sessions in school time, Y1-3) and Read Together Reading Lessons (Termly parent and child reading lessons – where the parent attends a reading lesson and receives takeaway support materials (Y4-6). Reception children also have the opportunity to enjoy books with a family member when parents are invited for a shared read each half term.

The phonics scheme we use is Read Write Inc.

Phonics in EYFS develops children’s vocabulary through role-play, discussion, building sentences and using productive questioning. Emphasis is placed on developing children’s love of reading through enticing story and poetry times. In the last term of Nursery, if appropriate for the child, children are taught to say the sounds of letters with the help of mnemonics. Children in Reception take part in daily phonics sessions (RWI)

Year 1 (and some year 2) children also take part in daily phonics sessions (RWI). In some instances, children who arrive mid year may take part in a targeted individual or group phonics session, using the scheme.

Vocabulary is taught explicitly based on the principles ‘Word Aware’ scheme.

Reading Gladiators is designed to challenge and motivate readers who are reading, or have the potential to read, at greater depth in the year 2, year 4 and year 6.