Reading
We value reading as an essential skill for life which will support children’s learning across the curriculum.
Intent
Through the teaching of reading, we intend to:
- develop fluent, confident and expressive readers;
- provide children with opportunities to read for enjoyment and for information;
- expose children to a wide variety of literature;
- show children how to apply their knowledge of phonics and spelling patterns to decode words with accuracy;
- expose children to sight words to allow for sufficient fluency;
- explore words and their meanings and develop a rich vocabulary;
- demonstrate how reading and writing skills can interlink.
We also intend for parents and carers to recognise the importance of reading and know how they can support their child to read at home. Parents are able to contribute regularly through the use of home-school records.
Implement
We place significant emphasis upon the development of basic reading skills and we aim for every child to be reading with sufficient fluency and with high levels of understanding by the age of 7, building upon this as they progress further up the school. We also aim for all children to be reading texts which are suitable for their age group and develop a life-long love of reading. In order to ensure we achieve this at our school, we use the Read Write Inc. phonics programme starting in the EYFS. We aim for most children to have completed the grey level by the time they leave Key Stage 1. For those who do not complete the Read Write Inc. programme by the end of Key Stage 1, they will continue to receive additional support as they move into Key Stage 2. Children who are struggling are also targeted within the class receiving directed support from the class teacher and teaching assistants.
EYFS
In the early years, we place an emphasis on developing children’s love of reading through story time. To initially support the teaching of communication, language and literacy, Preschool staff grow children’s vocabulary through role-play, discussion, building sentences and using productive questioning. EYFS staff encourage children to use their increasing phonics knowledge in freely chosen activities. In the final half term before the Reception year, children begin to learn set 1 speed sounds and early sound blending to support early reading using RWI Nursery. Our Preschool has a dedicated area for reading which contains a range of picture books and non-fiction texts, including core texts for EYFS. Within each focus area of our Preschool setting, staff select books linked to the area’s theme to show children how books can link to real-life.
In Reception, children take part in daily discrete Read Write Inc. phonics sessions. Pupils are placed into ability groups to ensure that their current phonological needs are met. Children are taught to read and understand simple sentences. They use phonic knowledge taught within their Read Write Inc. sessions to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately. Pupils are also taught to read some common irregular words. Children are encouraged to talk with others about what they have read to demonstrate their understanding. Children are also taught how to use ‘Fred Talk’ to blend sounds into words as soon as they begin to use grapheme-phoneme correspondences.
Parents of Reception children are invited into school to watch a demonstration of a Read Write Inc. session. They are provided with information outlining the Read Write Inc. programme and are informed of how to pronounce the sounds via the use of videos to help their child at home.
Key Stage 1
Children in Years 1 and 2 continue to take part in daily discrete Read Write Inc. phonics sessions. Pupils are based into ability groups to ensure that their current word reading and fluency needs are met. Children continue to use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them accurately using ‘Fred Talk’. As children become more confident in oral blending, they are encouraged to use ‘Fred in your head’. This is where children use their ‘Fred Talk’ to read words but instead of doing this orally, they do it mentally. We aim for most children to complete the Read Write Inc. scheme by the time they leave Year 2.
Guided reading sessions are also taught within Key Stage 1 through a whole class approach using the Complete Comprehension scheme. In these sessions, children are taught to develop their word meaning, retrieval, sequencing, inference and prediction skills. They can identify these skills and apply it through the use of the skills graphics. Within each session, there is a skill focus, with children having the opportunity to practise the focus skill and others taught within Key Stage 1 (see appendix 1).
Key Stage 2
Reading is taught in Key Stage 2 through English lessons and at other times of the day, such as whole class guided reading and spelling sessions. Through a whole class approach, children in Key Stage 2 use the Complete Comprehension scheme in their guided reading sessions. The skills taught in Key Stage 1 (word meaning, retrieval, sequencing, inference and prediction) are built upon in Key Stage 2. They can identify these skills and apply it through the use of the skills graphics (see appendix 1). Additional skills (summarising, word choice and comparison) are also introduced throughout Key Stage 2. Within each session, there is a skill focus, with children having the opportunity to practise the focus skill and others taught within Key Stage 2.
Whole class guided reading
To support the teaching of whole class guided reading, we use the Complete Comprehension scheme, focusing on vocabulary, word reading and a range of reading skills. The lessons also allow children to explore and make connections between texts that they have studied previously.
Reading at home
Children from Reception to Year 6 take home reading books. We use Read Write Inc. book bag books to support home reading in EYFS and Key Stage 1 for children who are on red ditty to grey level. Sound blending books are also sent home with those children who are practising blending of set 1 speed sounds. The book bag books are fully decodable for children to take home to support their classroom learning. All book bags include guidance for parents and carers on how to support their child at home with phonics. We ensure that the book bags that are taken home match up with the current phonics teaching. Children also take home a share book. This is a book which may not fully match up with their current phonics teaching but allows children the chance to share a fiction or non-fiction story at home.
Once children complete the Read Write Inc. scheme, they continue with the share books until they become free readers. Free reader children are able to select their own reading book; this can be one from home, their classroom or our school library.
SEN and Gifted and Talented
To support less able and extend more able pupils, differentiated activities are used. Children with learning difficulties will have provision for their particular needs through the use of an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Children who are not yet meeting age-related expectations receive additional support within class and in small groups out of class. Their work is differentiated to help scaffold their learning and ensure that they are given every opportunity to catch-up.
For those pupils who are exceeding, teachers provide challenge through differentiated tasks and expectations. Children are encouraged to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in other subjects.
Reading for pleasure
Each classroom at St Bees Village School has a dedicated area for reading. We aim for these areas to provide an inviting atmosphere for children to enjoy the pleasure of fiction, non-fiction and poetry texts. We also have a library area within school. Children have the opportunity to visit the library and explore the wide range of books that we have in school. Pupils are also encouraged to take books from our library to read for their own pleasure.
We promote a love of reading by:
- modelling story reading;
- sharing adult’s love of reading through discussions and displays;
- dedicating time in the day to share and read for pleasure;
- promote events to share and celebrate books such as World Book Day and traditional tales days;
- having dedicated reading areas within classrooms;
- allowing children to have a choice of what they are reading and the right to change their reading material if it is not enjoyable;
- providing children with a range of reading material including fiction, non-fiction and poetry;
- showing how reading can link to other curriculum areas, such as having books on display to link to subject topics.
Impact
At St Bees Village School, we aim for children to:
- become fluent, confident and expressive readers;
- read with enjoyment across a range of genres;
- read for pleasure as well as for information;
- read and respond to a wide range of different types of literature;
- understand the layout and how to use different genres and text types;
- understand and apply their knowledge of phonics and spelling patterns and use this to decode words with accuracy;
- build their bank of sight words to enable fluent reading;
- have an interest in words and their meanings, developing a rich and varied vocabulary;
- understand and respond to literature drawn from a range of cultures and literary heritage;
- gain awareness of the close links between reading and writing activities
Our intended impact is also to ensure that:
- the percentage of pupils working at expected within each year group will be at least in line with national averages or better;
- the percentage of pupils working at greater depth within each year group will be at least in line with national averages or better;
- there will be no significant gaps in the progress of different groups of pupils (e.g. disadvantaged vs non-disadvantaged).
We also aim for parents to be involved in their child’s reading progression through the use of home-school records which they can contribute to regularly.
Assessment
We monitor the impact of the teaching of reading through both summative and formative assessment. Using the assessments enables teachers to assess if children are working at the age-related expectations set out in the National Curriculum and to identify next steps in their learning. Teachers of Years 1 to 6 use the St Bees tracking document following our assessment calendar. Teachers in EYFS use iPads to create an individual record of progress and attainment against the Early Years Assessment Framework on the Evidence Me app.
Read Write Inc. Assessments
The Read Write Inc. entry assessment helps teachers to place children in Reception into broad speed sounds groups for the first four weeks of school (see appendix 3). In the fourth week, children are assessed again to ensure that children are ready to be grouped for the storybook lessons from week five. Children in Reception and Key Stage 1 complete the Read Write Inc. storybook assessment every half term; this allows teachers to ensure that children are placed into the correct group based upon their word reading and fluency progress (see appendix 3).
EYFS
In September, children in Reception undertake the Reception Baseline Assessment which provides an on-entry assessment of pupil attainment which is to be used as a starting point. Literacy, communication and language (LCL) tasks assess early vocabulary, phonological awareness and early comprehension. These are used to provide an on-entry assessment of pupil attainment which is used to determine next steps for children in their learning, provide the basis for ability grouping and support school in setting end of Key Stage 2 targets for all children. EYFS teachers record assessment data using Evidence Me.
Phonics screening check
In the summer term, Year 1 pupils undertake the phonics screening check in the summer term. For those who do not meet the meet the threshold mark and therefore do not achieve the expected standard, they will retake the check in following year in the summer term with the Year 1 pupils.
Due to COVID, pupils in Year 2 have undertaken the phonics screening check in the autumn term. Those who do not meet the threshold mark and therefore do not achieve the expected standard, they will retake the check in the summer term with the Year 1 pupils.
Assessment papers
Pupils in Years 1 to Year 5 complete the NFER reading assessment at the end of each term. NFER Tests provide reliable standardised and age-standardised scores to confidently monitor attainment, progress and to inform practice. Teachers in Year 6 use previous SATs papers at the end of each term to assess pupil progress against the end of Key Stage 2 expectations. Assessment information is updated on our whole school tracking document.
Complete Comprehension
Within the Complete Comprehension scheme, the children undertake progress checks at the end of several units and complete end of text questions for every text; this allows for teachers to monitor children’s progress and informs next steps.
