Reading
For information about phonics, please visit our phonics page.
Reading
• Little Wandle is followed for children in YR– Year 1. Children Year 2 and above will still receive daily phonics sessions if they are required. Books that children take home are closely linked to their developing ability and are changed on a weekly basis in EYFS/KS1. Phonics assessments take place every six weeks and books are then matched to their ability.
• Children in EYFS and KS1 read to an adults at least three times per week. In KS2, those children identified as the lowest 20% will be prioritised and will continue to read every day. Other children in KS2 will read at least one a week to an adult.
• The Reading Curriculum identifies key reading skills, established in a well progressive and sequenced criteria for each year group.
• Reading skills to be studied are active reading, fluency, decode, define, retrieve, explore, predict, summarise, relate and compare.
• Each term, in KS2 children study a high quality text. The texts that children focus on have been carefully selected to ensure that children are gaining rich and varied literary experiences at each stage of their primary journey. We believe that reading is at the start of the writing process and as such, each class text is used as a stimulus for writing opportunities. Children use their developing reading skills to comprehend the story, spoken language to perform aspects of the story and they use their writing skills for different purposes. These skills are then transferred to other areas of the curriculum at all times. In KS1, children study a high quality text on a half termly basis.
• Every classroom has a specific reading area which includes all ‘Love of Reading’ texts so that the children can frequently go back and re-read books taught. Other books in the classroom include our end-of-day SMSC books and non- fiction supplementary texts.
• Each week reading successes are celebrated by awarding a certificate during assemblies.
• Reading is at the core of the rest of the curriculum. Children are exposed to a variety of non-fiction texts to support the teaching of the wider curriculum and they will be required to use their critical thinking skills to comprehend information.
• We partake in many different events throughout the year to ensure that a love of reading is promoted. This includes: Reading Ambassadors who support the lowest 20% of children. They are also responsible for the library and they recommend books for the other children to read. We also offer a weekly book club in every class where they share a book they have enjoyed and recommended other books for children to read.
• Children have a 15-minute reading session where they have the opportunity to listen, share and discuss quality books with their teachers and peers. This really helps to promote a love of reading, increase vocabulary and feeds pupils’ developing imaginations.
• Comprehension skills are taught daily through questioning and high-quality discussions with teaching staff and each other. Specific English lessons are dedicated to comprehension, which provides children with the means of analysing and thinking critically about what they have read.
• It is expected that children read at home at least 3 times per week. This will then be checked by the child’s class teacher.