Reading

We are committed to ensuring that we keep up to date with the latest research on the best practises in the teaching of reading. Therefore our reading curriculum is guided by The CLPE. Our approach to a holistic reading curriculum uses The CLPE’s research and the principles of their Power of Reading resources. First and foremost, we make sure our pupils have the books are high-quality texts which are language rich and representative of a diverse range of cultures, genders, locations, religions and beliefs. We use the CLPE Corebooks to make sure we have access to the best of traditional texts as well as those most recently published.

Each year group has a long term Literature Map that is designed to plan the reading and writing genres for each year group. These are linked to genres of writing taught in our Planning for Progress: Writing curriculum. This approach has been developed by the school to incorporate principles from Talk 4 Writing, the Power of Reading and our professional knowledge of best practice. The primary factor for the choice of all reading material is the quality of literature and text. Reading material must be models of good writing, language and contexts. There must be breadth in contexts which include familiar and unfamiliar contexts, characters and themes. 

Learning to decode, understand and develop stamina and fluency in reading are key to becoming competent and confident readers. Acquiring a love of reading can happen at the earliest stages of development.

From Nursery to Year 2 children are taught to read using a systematic, synthetic phonics (SSP) programme. Using the DfE validated Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised phonics programme means that our children receive high-quality, consistency of learning as they progress through the early years. All children have guided reading and home reading books that are matched to their phonics knowledge. Detailed assessment of children’s knowledge and progress ensures that they have access to reading material that they are able to read. 

Learning phonics and phonemic awareness goes hand in hand with daily shared reading, reading aloud sessions and 1:1 reading. Our classrooms are literature and language rich environments that give access to books that children can read, have read to them and enjoy in a range of learning contexts. 

Reading for pleasure remains a priority during KS2. We encourage our pupils to foster a love for reading, develop personal interests in different genres and have exposure to a wide range of authors and texts, means that our pupils have a balanced and healthy reading diet.

Children continue to be taught specific reading skills in Key Stage Two. Most children will be developing higher levels of fluency, language and comprehension skills. Some children may still require phonics based teaching and they will receive teaching to secure the SSP knowledge and skills necessary to be a fluent reader.  Reading lessons include Echo Reading, Reciprocal Reading, whole class Guided Reading and group guided reading sessions. Pupils will continue to be read to in reading aloud sessions each day and will develop skills in peer-to -peer reading. Pupils are taught to respond to texts both orally and in written form so that they develop higher level inference, comprehension and language skills.

To view our Literature Map, please click here.

To view the English Programmes of Study, The National Curriculum, please click here.