Reading

At our school, reading is at the heart of the curriculum. We believe that confident, fluent readers are better able to access all areas of learning and we aim to foster a lifelong love of reading through high-quality teaching and rich texts. We are lucky enough that our school is equipped with an amazing, well-stocked library which the children visit regularly to choose books they would like to read themselves and at home to help establish good reading routines and develop their life long love of reading.

From Year 2 onwards, once children have successfully completed their discrete Read Write Inc phonics sessions, pupils take part in whole-class reading sessions that develop fluency, comprehension and enjoyment of books.

How We Teach Reading

We use a whole-class guided reading approach, structured to build pupils’ reading skills in a clear and progressive way. Each unit of work is based on a high-quality text and follows a sequence that includes:

• Extended Reads – pupils read and explore longer sections of a text to build stamina, understanding of plot and character and a love of reading.
• Developing Fluency – pupils practise reading aloud with accuracy, expression and appropriate pace, building confidence and automaticity.
• Close Reads – pupils revisit short extracts in detail to explore vocabulary, authorial techniques, inference and meaning.
• Comprehension Sessions – pupils respond to a range of questions that develop retrieval, inference, prediction, explanation and evaluation skills.

Teachers model reading strategies, explicitly teach vocabulary and guide pupils to think deeply about what they read. Pupils are encouraged to discuss texts, share ideas and justify their thinking.

Supporting Progress and Enjoyment

Reading is taught daily and supported through regular opportunities for independent reading, class stories and access to a wide range of books. Pupils are encouraged to read widely and often, both in school and at home. Teachers carefully monitor progress, provide targeted support and challenge, and ensure pupils develop the skills needed to become confident, independent readers.

Impact

Through our reading curriculum, pupils develop strong decoding, fluency and comprehension skills, alongside a rich vocabulary and a love of books. By the end of primary school, pupils are confident readers who can understand, discuss and enjoy a wide range of texts which prepares them well for the demands of secondary education and beyond.

Year Group Reading Curriculum

Home Reading

We actively encourage pupils to read at home to develop good reading habits and their love of reading. Pupils are welcome to borrow books from our well-stocked library to take home and enjoy with their parents and carers.

We have many recommended reads that children are welcome to enjoy and we have some of these books in school – any books we don’t currently have in school can be accessed at The Lightbox – our Town Centre Library.