Reading is a golden thread in our curriculum; reading enables children to make sense of the world they live in and to extend their knowledge about specific aspects of the projects they are undertaking. Texts are chosen to ensure children experience a wide variety over time, broaden vocabulary and understanding of grammar and allow children to experience reading as a pleasurable experience which underpins all their learning across the curriculum.
Texts that we use include magazines, comics, maps, picture books, dual language books, phonic readers, book banded books, dictionaries and thesauruses, atlases, class made books, poetry, recipe books, information texts, explanation texts, diaries, posters and visual texts. Research (Perfetti et al 1996) highlights the importance of keeping the texts interesting so as to engage pupils. We have selected texts that will also act as a stimulus for writing.
Early Years Reading
On entry to school early years begins with a focus on environmental print; including logos/text types/fonts/handwritten and typed with the intention of getting children to perceive themselves as a reader both in school and out of school.
Class texts are read at least daily and repeated to allow children to build fluency and understanding of the vocabulary across a range of genres. Stories are introduced using puppets and visual aids. Use of the Tales Toolkit helps children to understand how stories are structured and helicopter stories are used to explore character, setting and develop imagination.
Phonics
Our youngest children follow the DfES Letters and Sounds scheme that focuses on environmental sounds to promote phonological awareness and oral blending.
Once ready for the next stage in learning, phonics is taught daily in a group that is working on a specific set of sounds according to the ability of the child. Each session has a distinct structure and utilises Read Write Inc (RWI) and Letters and Sounds. The children take home a RWI book each week to re-read and develop fluency.
Phonics support continues for as long as a child requires it.
Parental workshops to support phonics learning are delivered as required.
Guided Reading
Each week, the children at St Mary’s in Key Stage 1 and 2, undertake a carousel of activities to develop comprehension;
Early Years Reading
On entry to school early years begins with a focus on environmental print; including logos/text types/fonts/handwritten and typed with the intention of getting children to perceive themselves as a reader both in school and out of school.
Class texts are read at least daily and repeated to allow children to build fluency and understanding of the vocabulary across a range of genres. Stories are introduced using puppets and visual aids. Use of the Tales Toolkit helps children to understand how stories are structured and helicopter stories are used to explore character, setting and develop imagination.
Phonics
Our youngest children follow the DfES Letters and Sounds scheme that focuses on environmental sounds to promote phonological awareness and oral blending.
Once ready for the next stage in learning, phonics is taught daily in a group that is working on a specific set of sounds according to the ability of the child. Each session has a distinct structure and utilises Read Write Inc (RWI) and Letters and Sounds. The children take home a RWI book each week to re-read and develop fluency.
Phonics support continues for as long as a child requires it.
Parental workshops to support phonics learning are delivered as required.
Guided Reading
Each week, the children at St Mary’s in Key Stage 1 and 2, undertake a carousel of activities to develop comprehension;
Pre read |
Guided session |
Follow up task |
Comprehension skills |
Vocabulary skills/inference skills |
Familiarity/Vocabulary focus linked to the text |
Specific reading skill to be taught. |
Apply/use skill that has been taught in Guided session. |
N/A |
N/A |
Central to the carousel is a guided read with the teacher that focusses on comprehension rather than decoding (although for non-fluent readers this continues to be aspect that receives attention).
These guided sessions include the following strategies;
Prior to the guided input, the group (ability) discuss the focus question/vocabulary from the pre read session that the children have undertaken in the pre teach lesson.
The follow up session is an opportunity to use what they have learnt in the guided session and apply independently or collaboratively. The sessions make use of levelled texts from the Rigby Navigator Scheme of work, sets of books, extracts of texts and teacher written texts. The books we select aim to open up possibilities for interpretation rather than a pre-determined answer.
Guided reading groups are monitored, assessed and adjusted to ensure that the children are in the appropriate group - notes are made about children’s responses during the session linked to national Curriculum and Target Tracker statements and will enable the teacher to track pupil progress.
Children who find reading difficult are supported throughout school with additional 1:1 support (for some this involves reading with a volunteer) and group interventions to ensure they make progress and enjoy reading for pleasure and obtaining information to support their interests and learning.
Children in KS2 who are NOT reaching Age Related Expectations are assessed using SALFORD reading tests to track progress (reading ages).
Reading at home
We recommend that the children regularly read at home as it is a great way to encounter a wide range of authors and genres. It will also allow them to understand and use a wide range of vocabulary. They should aim to read on at least four occasions in any one week for a minimum of 10-15 minutes at a time.
In EYFS, children take home a book that has been chosen by the children to enjoy reading at home. Levelled books are also sent home to support word and sound recognition and start the journey of good reading habits. There is a ‘Going home’ library that children and parents can select from at any time.
In KS1 all children will be given a book band level. They will then be responsible for changing their reading books as necessary (TA/Teacher supported where needed). Parents will be asked to read with their children and record their reading in their child’s reading diary four times a week. Teachers will collect in reading records weekly to ensure that regular reading is taking place. If a child is not reading regularly at home, we will contact parents to offer support. In KS2 each child will be issued with a reading diary and an age appropriate recommended reading list for children. Book banded books will be available for children in Years 3 and 4 and for SEN pupils in UKS2.
Classes will arrange reading areas to ensure that all children are supported with their reading choices.
Promoting a love of texts
We have implemented a range of strategies to promote reading for pleasure;
These guided sessions include the following strategies;
- Predicting - making a logically plausible guess as to what will happen next.
- Questioning - asking questions about the text to expose different layers of meaning.
- Clarifying - Checking how specific words and phrases have been understood.
- Summarising - Stating the main events, actions, or ideas in the text.
- Thinking aloud - Reading a few sentences or a paragraph and verbalising what has been understood. (teacher and Pupil think alouds)
- Noting the text structure - Highlighting the main linguistic features of a specific text-type.
- Visualising - Developing a visual image of the text (story mapping)
Prior to the guided input, the group (ability) discuss the focus question/vocabulary from the pre read session that the children have undertaken in the pre teach lesson.
The follow up session is an opportunity to use what they have learnt in the guided session and apply independently or collaboratively. The sessions make use of levelled texts from the Rigby Navigator Scheme of work, sets of books, extracts of texts and teacher written texts. The books we select aim to open up possibilities for interpretation rather than a pre-determined answer.
Guided reading groups are monitored, assessed and adjusted to ensure that the children are in the appropriate group - notes are made about children’s responses during the session linked to national Curriculum and Target Tracker statements and will enable the teacher to track pupil progress.
Children who find reading difficult are supported throughout school with additional 1:1 support (for some this involves reading with a volunteer) and group interventions to ensure they make progress and enjoy reading for pleasure and obtaining information to support their interests and learning.
Children in KS2 who are NOT reaching Age Related Expectations are assessed using SALFORD reading tests to track progress (reading ages).
Reading at home
We recommend that the children regularly read at home as it is a great way to encounter a wide range of authors and genres. It will also allow them to understand and use a wide range of vocabulary. They should aim to read on at least four occasions in any one week for a minimum of 10-15 minutes at a time.
In EYFS, children take home a book that has been chosen by the children to enjoy reading at home. Levelled books are also sent home to support word and sound recognition and start the journey of good reading habits. There is a ‘Going home’ library that children and parents can select from at any time.
In KS1 all children will be given a book band level. They will then be responsible for changing their reading books as necessary (TA/Teacher supported where needed). Parents will be asked to read with their children and record their reading in their child’s reading diary four times a week. Teachers will collect in reading records weekly to ensure that regular reading is taking place. If a child is not reading regularly at home, we will contact parents to offer support. In KS2 each child will be issued with a reading diary and an age appropriate recommended reading list for children. Book banded books will be available for children in Years 3 and 4 and for SEN pupils in UKS2.
Classes will arrange reading areas to ensure that all children are supported with their reading choices.
Promoting a love of texts
We have implemented a range of strategies to promote reading for pleasure;
- Children are gifted a book for their birthday from the EYFS team.
- Birthday books; families are invited donate a book that can be read by members of the class to celebrate their child’s birthday. This could be a picture book, information book, a collection of poems or a much loved story.
- Story telling weeks
- World Book Day celebrations
- Book swaps
ParentMail
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Please make sure you have registered with ParentMail. Contact the office for more information.
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St. Mary's Church of England (VC) Primary School Southam Road Banbury OX16 2EG
Headteacher: Victoria Woods
Tel/Fax: 01295 263026 Email office@banburystmarysschool.co.uk
Headteacher: Victoria Woods
Tel/Fax: 01295 263026 Email office@banburystmarysschool.co.uk