Reading | How we do it
As soon as our children join us in Nursery, the journey to developing a love of reading begins. Enjoyment of rich storytelling experiences, coupled with the sense of achievement as they learn to read, develops a love of reading that flourishes as the amount of quality books the children can access opens up to them. In Nursery and Reception, children are discretely taught reading skills each and every day as part of our ‘Storybook Curriculum’. The children are read the same book every day from our carefully selected book overview, which includes a range of broad texts, authors and themes. Vocabulary is carefully selected from each text in order to teach the children, and then this vocabulary is modelled and encouraged within the children’s environment. These books are then sent home with the children for parents to share with them in order to encourage them to internalise the vocabulary, structure and patterns within texts and further foster a love of reading outside of the classroom. The aim of the books used throughout school is to provide the children with mirrors through which they can see reflections of themselves and their own lives, and windows into other worlds that they are not so familiar with.
Children make exceptional progress in reading across Reception and KS1, regardless of their starting points. We aim for all children to be reading age-appropriate fiction and non-fiction books fluently by the time they leave Year 2. To achieve this, we place a huge importance on the teaching of Phonics and reading skills.
Phonics is taught in Nursery, Reception and KS1 through our own DfE validated programme called ‘Robophonics’, which is a systematic, synthetic approach to the teaching and delivery of phonics. This programme has been tailored perfectly to our children’s needs. Children receive discrete phonics sessions daily in groups appropriate to their level and are encouraged to apply their knowledge of familiar sounds within their reading and writing lessons.
In Reception and KS1, children participate in small-group reading lessons four times a week. We employ three extra fully-qualified teachers to facilitate this and we our planning format follows a very structured, evidence-based approach considering the ‘Simple View of Reading’, ‘Scarborough Reading Rope’ and ‘Rosenshine’s Principles of Effective Instruction’ to ensure progress is maximised within each session. Assessment takes place both formatively in lessons and summatively at the end of each half term. Children are regrouped based on assessment and new reading levels are outlined. Intervention is provided for those children who are struggling and we also provide daily 1:1 reading for children who need extra practice, which continues into KS2 if any children are still not ready to access age-related whole-class reading provision.
In KS2, reading is taught using a whole-class approach and a wealth of high-quality texts, including classic and contemporary narratives, poetry and non-fiction underpin this. Again, a very structured approach based around the ‘Simple View of Reading’, ‘The Scarborough Reading Rope’ and ‘Rosenshine’s Principles of Effective Instruction’ has been adopted and is evident within our planning format. Careful consideration has gone into the choice of authors used in lessons in order to ensure they are varied, and that a wide range of contexts are explored. We also teach a classic novel in every year group in order to ensure that children are exposed to high-quality literature that has stood the test of time.
Reading as a class creates an opportunity for the whole class to enter a ‘new world’ together, which in turn creates a buzz for the text and a love of reading. Our engaging approach to teaching and learning inspires and motivates children, coupled with the explicit teaching of reading skills to ensure that children develop a real love of reading, whilst also gaining the skills that they need to become competent readers. We believe that the acquisition of vocabulary is paramount for understanding texts, as well as communicating effectively in life beyond the classroom, so one lesson within each whole-class guided reading cycle is purely devoted to exploring and teaching vocabulary. Vocabulary is then revisited within subsequent retrieval activities. There are always opportunities to practise speaking and listening within lessons, as we recognise that developing the skills of speaking and listening are integral to creating confident communicators.
Reading | Home Reading
Children at all ages within school are expected to read or be read to at home every day. Not only does regular reading enable children to become more fluent, but it also exposes them to so much more: vocabulary, grammatical structures, writing styles, different cultures and many others. We recognise that the more children read, the more confident they become and therefore the more they enjoy reading.
In EYFS and KS1, children take home a decodable book to read independently and a book to read with an adult for pleasure as their home readers. Decodable books are really integral to allowing children to experience success in reading and in turn confidence and fluency. Meanwhile, the ‘Share Me’ books taken home for pleasure allow our children to access vocabulary beyond their age and therefore remain challenged. Home readers are changed twice a week in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Keeping the same books for concurrent days encourages the children to re-read and become more fluent, whilst also allowing them to comprehend matter within the text that they may not have noticed the first time around. Parents are encouraged to sign their child’s diary every day to ensure that reading at home is taking place. We also host parent meetings each year in order to share the importance of reading with our parents and give them the tools required in order to further encourage a love of reading at home.
In KS2 we use Accelerated Reader to promote reading at home. An initial quiz, taken at the beginning of each half term, allows each child to be given a ‘range’ of books that they can choose from, again ensuring that children can feel successful in reading and comprehend the texts that they are accessing. Each time a child finishes a book, they complete a quiz which determines their comprehension of the text. We have a number of systems which encourage and celebrate the children’s use of Accelerated Reader, and therefore their engagement, such as certificates and celebratory reading cafes. Each year group also has a set of recommended books to read before they complete the academic year. These have been carefully selected to contribute towards the children’s cultural capital, as well as ensuring a wide breadth of reading experiences.