Reading
"Reading is the finest teacher of how to write." - Annie Proulx
Intent
At Newbold Church Primary School, we aim to foster a love of language and reading and, therefore, attach great importance to enabling our children to become fluent readers whilst promoting reading for enjoyment. We are determined to develop independence and fluency in all readers to ensure a life-long love of reading and ensuring that they can all achieve their full potential across all areas of the curriculum. We approach reading in three different ways; reading for pleasure, reading across the curriculum and teaching reading skills explicitly.
We ensure that our children will experience a wide range of texts that promote fluency, understanding and develop regular reading habits. In school, texts are chosen to reflect our rich literary heritage and we place an emphasis on regular reading and reading for pleasure, both in school, and at home . Through a progressive use of language rich texts, children’s ability to work with more complex language is developed. Engaging texts are key to the planning and delivery of Reading and Writing in our school. Reading is a vital skill and we encourage parents to join in the excitement with their children learning to read. We have a well-stocked library and children are encouraged to utilise, discuss and recommend books they have read.
Implementation
- We follow the Super Sonic Phonics scheme from Nursery to Year 1/2, which teaches the children the 44 different sounds in the English language and 175+ different ways of writing those sounds (graphemes). The correct enunciation of phonemes and modelling of blending by all adults at Newbold Church Primary School is of paramount importance in the accurate and effective teaching of phonics.
- The children have access to a range of different reading books. Each child in Reception and Year 1/2 will have access to a fully phonetically decodable book matched to their stage of phonics and a reading for pleasure book from within their coloured book band. Children also are able to choose a library book, which aims to develop their love of books and reading.
- From Y2/3-6 we use Read, Write Inc to plan and teach spelling patterns. The children can access to being able to practice their spellings online at home, to apply and embed the skills they have learnt.
- For any children working on Phases 2-5 in year 3 or beyond, we provide individualised intervention to diminish gaps and accelerate progress for these children including use of Nessy.
- From Reception to Y6, children have whole class reading and we use a variety of text types and genres to ensure full coverage of different curriculum areas.
- From Y3-Y6 children have access to Accelerated Reader (AR) which allows them to read a book within their reading age and then complete a quiz after to ensure they have understood what they have read. The children complete a star reader assessment each half term to ensure that they are improving their ZPD and achieving the desired amount of progress.
- Children from Y1 to Y6 also partake in reading strategy, which is included within their timetable. During the time the children are able to read with/to an adult and other children and carefully considered questions are asked by the adult to ascertain children’s ‘levels of understanding.
- Time is included across each classes daily timetable to allows for whole class reading whereby the teacher/teaching assistant in the class shares a rage of genres with the children.
Impact
We ensure a progression of skills in Phonics throughout Early Years and KS1 and expect that by the end of KS1 children can;
- Independently use their phonic knowledge to read fluently, sounding out and blending unfamiliar words without support,
- Read age appropriate books with increasing fluency and expression.
- Read accurately words containing two or more syllables.
- Read words containing common suffixes.
- Make predictions and inferences based on what they have read themselves and what has been read to them by others.
By the end of KS2 children can;
- Confidently read aloud with intonation and expression, drawing on subtle clues from the text.
- Express individual interests, thoughts and opinions on texts.
- Compare and contrast different texts on the same subject.
- Explain and comment on structural devices used in a variety of texts.
- Evaluate, comment and compare the different styles of writers – providing evidence and explanations (PEE – point, evidence, explain).
- Perform familiar poems using tone, pitch and other devices to engage the audiences.
How parents can help create a reading culture in their homes
Research shows that learning to read is directly linked to children’s success at school and beyond. It also shows that those who read regularly and for longer dramatically increase the number of words they are introduced to. This in turn impacts on their success across the whole curriculum.
We believe that the relationship between school reading and home reading is vital. It is never too early to start sharing books with your child. Learning to read is about listening and understanding as well as working out print. When children hear stories, they are exposed to a rich and wide vocabulary. This helps them build their own vocabulary and improve their understanding when they listen, which is vital as they start to read.
Some of the things that you can do include:
- Reading aloud to your child, talking about the words and pictures, and sharing ideas about the book.
- Reading yourself: Children who see adults reading, and enjoying reading, are much more likely to want to read themselves
- Making sure your child is surrounded by books: You don’t need hundreds of books at home and you don’t need to spend lots of money! We recommend regular visit to our local libraries in Duffield and Belper.
- Most importantly, talk to your child. Spend time with them, doing simple activities (playing, cooking, making something or playing a game). As you talk about what you’re doing, you are helping them to learn new words. Later, when they see words written down, they have already heard them and know what they mean.
How should I read to my child?
- As you read to your child, bring the characters to life – talk about the characters, the drawings and the events so that the story starts to come alive.
- Don’t be afraid to try different voices or try out your acting skills! Remember that your face says it all so exaggerate your expressions.
- Emphasise repeated words and phrases (‘I’ll huff and I’ll puff!’). Encourage your child to say the words with you.
- Turn off the television and concentrate on enjoying the book.
- Try audio books that the children can listen to in the car together on journeys, on tablets or phones.
How often should I read to my child, and how long for?
Be guided by how long your child will listen for. For younger children, this may be quite short periods of time, while slightly older children may be readier to listen for longer. Many experts suggest that a routine helps to support reading. A bedtime story can be a nice way for you to spend a small amount of time together and wind down after a busy day.
We recommend that you hear your child read five times every week. As your child progresses in their ‘learning to read journey’ the duration of these sessions will lengthen. By the end of key stage 1 your child will be reading with more confidence and fluency. You may think that they no longer need you in their reading journey. You are still play a vital role in this process. We still endorse the importance of hearing your child read to you as they progress through key stage 2. They will still need discussions regarding the language and plot of the texts they encounter. All children are encouraged to record the reading at home they do in their reading records (this can be completed by the adult or the child, as they get older).