Our Reading Curriculum
We aim for all our children to become fluent readers and demonstrate enthusiasm and pleasure in reading. They are encouraged to be confident, enthusiastic, critical and independent readers.
The National Curriculum divides reading skills into two dimensions:
- Word reading/decoding
- Comprehension
We recognise that both of these elements are essential to success.
We ensure that pupils:
- read easily, fluently decoding words and with good understanding
- develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
- acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and the spoken language
- appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
- use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
- read for pleasure and for purpose
- hear adults read often to model prosody
Children make a strong start in Reception: teaching begins straight away in the Autumn term with daily Phonics lessons. In Reception and Year 1, we teach reading through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme. Any child who needs additional practice has keep-up support, taught by a fully trained adult. Keep-up lessons match the structure of class teaching, and use the same procedures, resources and mantras, but in smaller steps with more repetition, so that every child secures their learning.
In year 2 and 3, we teach reading using the Collins Big Cat Little Wandle fluency books.
From Year 4, children engage in reading sessions using the Destination Reader approach.
Reading for pleasure
Our school and class libraries allow children to immerse themselves in the wonderful world of books. They are stocked with an attractive range of fiction and non-fiction to support every ability and reading choice and encompass the latest reading trends and classic texts that should be part of every child’s primary school experience - building the children’s cultural capital.
All children take home a 'reading for pleasure' book, either to share with an adult at home and/or to enjoy independently.
Story time takes place daily in every classroom. Teachers carefully plan story time sessions to develop a love for reading and expose children to a wide range of topics and ambitious vocabulary.
We encourage and celebrate reading by taking part in both school based, local and national reading initiatives including National Poetry Day, World Book Day, author visits, book swaps and sales and reading challenges.
Reading into Writing
Reading is treated as an integral part of writing lessons. Teachers base their writing plans on high quality texts which are closely read, discussed and drawn on in the children’s own writing.
Reading skills are taught in sequential steps building to end points as set down in detail within our reading curriculum documents below.
To find out more about reading for each year group, please visit the relevant class page on our website.
Our priority is to get children excited about books, stories and rhymes because if reading is fun, children will want to do it. You will find ideas for great books, by age, on the Booktrust website.
