Reading
We care deeply about reading because strong reading skills are important. Reading is a top priority for us, as it plays a big role in success at school and later in life. When children learn to read well, it helps them do better in all subjects, sparks creativity, builds confidence, and opens up more chances for a fulfilling life. Reading lets children explore new worlds and ideas, and we want every child to enjoy all the benefits and joy that reading brings.
We surround children with language to help them become better communicators. This helps them use strong vocabulary and supports their progress in reading and writing. Our goal is for children to enjoy reading and develop a love for books.
In KS1
- Children read many types of fiction and non-fiction books from different genres.
- Children are taught to read in small groups.
- Children practice reading with adults throughout the week in different areas of the curriculum and on occasion, on a one-to-one basis.
- Children can also choose a book to take home.
In KS2
- Starting partway through Year 3, children have guided reading sessions with the whole class three times a week.
- All children in the class read the same text together.
- We use interesting, high-quality texts from many genres, including extracts, short stories, whole books, poetry, song lyrics, and non-fiction.
- During these sessions, children have many chances to read, such as reading aloud together, reading in pairs, and reading on their own.
- We use Reading VIPERS, which stands for Vocabulary, Inference, Predict, Explain, Retrieve, and Summarise. These are the six reading skills in the UK’s reading curriculum and are linked to the National Curriculum.
- All children take part in whole-class guided reading sessions, where they can experience and talk about rich, imaginative texts.
- We help children stay motivated and engaged in different ways. They might have a ‘Reading Buddy’ who sits with them and reads aloud, or the teacher or teaching assistant might read with a small group, taking turns. Sometimes, a group of children reads ahead of the class.
Supporting children who are not reading at age-related expectations
We quickly spot children who are not making the progress we expect. We support them in different ways, because we believe equality means giving each child what they need to succeed. We use tailored interventions to help with different skills. For example, a child who struggles with word decoding might join a phonics program, while a child who needs to build fluency might join a paired reading program.
Diversity and inclusion
Books are a great way to help children learn about different cultures and experiences. It is important for children to understand diversity and feel comfortable talking about what makes each of us unique and valued. We are building bookshelves with a wide range of books to help children develop understanding, empathy, and respect for different backgrounds. We want every child to find books they can relate to and that show the diversity of our world.