Learning to read is the most important thing your child will learn at school, as reading opens the door to learning.
A child who reads a lot will become a good reader. A good reader we will be able to read more challenging material. A child who reads challenging material is a child who will learn. The more a child learns, the more he or she will want to find out.
We want your child to love reading- and to want to read for themselves. This is why we put our efforts into making sure they develop a love of books as well as simply learning to read.
We aim to show our pupils the value we give to reading, so we aim to utterly drench the pupils in reading: to spark a love of literature, that will in turn improve reading AND writing standards and to cultivate a ‘reading for pleasure’ culture throughout our school.
Please take up our challenge to 'Strive for 5' that is, read with your children at least 5 times each week: it could be a comic, magazine, newspaper, non-fiction book, novel, school reading book, library book, recipe… the list is endless!
You won't believe the difference it will make to their learning!
We use Read, Write Inc to start off our early readers and introduce phonics. Once children start on our Reading Pathway, we have a wide range of books which are banded according to reading ability. Schemes included in book banding include: Project X, Oxford Reading Tree, Dandelion and Ginn.
We promote reading in lots of ways:
Home reading: Children read through a set of book banded books. Each colour in the book band is a different level. We do not subscribe to a specific reading scheme. We provide a diet and range of books at different levels within a book band. The children know which book band they are working at and recognise the book band that they are working towards.
It is an expectation that children read their home reading book every night.
Whole class reads: Each class has a set of class read and teachers support children to develop their reading skills by delivering lessons to promote reading skills through whole class sessions, guided reading groups and small intervention groups.
Guided Reading: Teachers deliver targeted sessions to small groups to challenge the children and develop reading skills together.
VIPERS: To support children to read “around” texts, teachers also use 'VIPER' questioning, where children answer questions to promote vocabulary, inferential, prediction, explanation, retreival and sequencing/summarising reading skills.
Reading for pleasure: We encourage children to read for pleasure. Each class has a class reading area which has a range of books to encourage reading a range of texts – from non-fiction, fiction and poetry. Each class takes part in a 'Drop Everything and Read' session each week where we promote the pure enjoyment of reading for pleasure.
Reading around the curriculum: Reading is a skill that leads to good learning across all aspects of the curriculum and each class ensures there are a range of topic books available to promote topics that are being delivered through the learning challenge curriculum.
Read Write Inc: In the Early Years and Key Stage 1 we deliver a consistent approach to phonics using a programme called ReadWrite Inc. Every child in EYFS and Key Stage 1 works through the programme to help them decode (sound out) words that they read and spell. Reading is linked into understanding what they have read and also links into short writing activities.
Please download the Phonics Guide for Parents to give you more information about Read Write Inc.
Where children may find phonics difficult, staff deliver additional 1to1 support sessions. Teachers will always keep you informed if your child is having additional support.
By the end of Key Stage 1, it is expected that all children can decode text in a range of ways including phonics. This is assessed through the Phonic Screening Check in Y1 and through teacher assessment in Y2.
If you have any further questions please speak to your child’s class teacher.