English Reading

Children are exposed to a wide range of authors, beyond their own knowledge to nurture a genuine passion for literature. Within the school day, children will have opportunities to enjoy books through guided reading texts, which link to current learning, independent reading and a separate class reader, which the children will find interesting and ambitious in content. 

Classrooms are environments which enhance engagement of reading through captivating and well-used book corners and a culture of reading.  Working walls are used to promote and stimulate interest in the guided reading text as well as support learning of skills taught and sentence stems to enable children to articulate their thoughts and ideas. 

How reading is taught 

EYFS: Daily phonics is taught following the Little Wandle scheme which explicitly teaches word reading and comprehension skills which improves fluency through storybooks and non-fiction. Daily story time, where the class teacher/TA develop the love of reading by bringing the stories to life modelling storyteller voices, using actions to emphasis key vocabulary and opportunities for the children to join in. Storytelling is also taught through helicopter stories, drawing telling and the provision is designed to support and enhance storytelling. Helicopter Stories lets children dictate their stories which are written down verbatim, exactly as they are told, by an EYFS or Key Stage 1 practitioner. The children then gather around a taped out stage and the stories are acted out. The staff lead the children in drawing club, where each week the staff share a traditional tale, cartoon and story and the children will learn the language through actions to recall key words and they will then change and develop the story through their drawings. 

KS1: Daily phonics is taught following the Little Wandle scheme which explicitly teaches word reading and comprehension skills which improves fluency through storybooks and non-fiction. In Year 2 and more able year 1 daily guided reading improves fluency but also explicitly teaches skills needed to appreciate and comprehend a broad range of authors across a wide range of genres. Texts are carefully selected based on learning experiences. Within guided reading children are explicitly taught through teacher modelling how to: retrieve, predict, infer, question, summarise and clarify vocabulary. Each child is given a copy of the text which is read together as a group, with opportunities to discuss language and content. The class teacher will read a text to the class for pleasure giving opportunities to explain new language and developing love of reading. 

KS2: daily guided reading improves fluency but also explicitly teaches skills needed to appreciate and comprehend a broad range of authors across a wide range of genres. Texts are carefully selected based on learning experiences. Within guided reading children are explicitly taught through teacher modelling how to: retrieve, predict, infer, question, summarise and clarify vocabulary.  

Each child is given a copy of the text which is read together as a class, with opportunities to discuss language and content. One of the reading skills is then taught and modelled by the class teacher, using the text read. Analysis and discussion are encouraged to foster understanding so that children become critical thinkers. Follow up questions then provide children the opportunity to practice these skills independently.