We start our reading journey in Reception with picture books to develop the love of reading before we move on to one or two word simple sentences on each page. We encourage early reading through decodable books that our children take home, starting off with one or two words moving on to longer sentences. Children are taught phonics through the Letters and Sounds programme throughout EYFS and phonics workshops are held to give parents information and ideas on how to support at home.

In Key Stage One, we work hard to continue the good start in EYFS with regards to learning to read. Within Year One, phonics books are used to link with the sounds being learnt in the daily phonics sessions, so that children have the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills immediately through the reading of a book.

It is our aim that all children enter Year Two as strong readers. We therefore continue grouping for synthetic phonics, where children are taught in small groups of similar ability. We also have interventions such as one-to-one phonics so that no child is left behind.

In KS1 it is normal for a child to re-read the same book several times until the teacher is confident they fully understand the book. Comprehension is vital at this age.

Once children have reached the National expectation in phonics, they begin a more formal approach to English lessons. This programme of teaching follows on from the pace and passion needed in phonics to continue to make outstanding readers by developing comprehension skills, fostering a love of reading and becoming accomplished writers.

The opportunities, organisation and provision for the teaching and learning of reading are as follows:

• Shared reading
• Class reading sessions
• Class comprehension sessions (once a week in KS2)
• Guided/Reciprocal reading
• Accelerated Reader from Year 3 to Year 6
• Independent reading (ERIC)
• Daily reading opportunities for selected pupils
• Synthetic Phonics: Taught daily
• Links to parents – Each child has a reading record book which logs books they have read and comments about their reading. Parents and teaching staff write in this book
• Library- Each child has the ability to visit the library on a regular basis to change their book
• Class books: Stories are read to the children on a daily basis throughout the school.
• Reading at home: Children are encouraged to read at home every day and this is given high priority.
• Remarkable Readers: A remarkable reader is a child who reads at least 3 times a week at home to get a stamp in their reading record. After every 5 stamps, children will receive a remarkable reader prize.

Children engage with high quality picture books, novels, poetry and non-fiction through a wide range of teaching approaches. Children are immersed into the text through music, art, drama, discussion and role-play. Other approaches include responding to illustrations, ‘Book Talk’, story mapping and book making. Children take ownership of the text and engage with it deeply.

The programme of study at Key Stages 1 and 2 are:

• word reading

• comprehension (both listening and reading).
   

Through the Reciprocal Reading approach, strategies such as clarifying key words, summarising on what children have read, predicting what might happen next and questioning/inviting opinion as to why, are vital to children progressing as readers and these skills are encouraged from our earliest readers.

Our aim is to teach children to read fluently and accurately so that they have a full understanding of text, resulting in enjoyment of what they have read.  We share this aim with parents, and to this end, use a variety of strategies. Our children’s reading experiences continue and develop throughout  St Anne's, with them learning to read for a purpose – why are they reading?  This of course reflects directly upon their writing skills, when the two are allied and the connections are made known to the children! Children are, therefore, encouraged to make choices about their reading matter, according to why they are reading.  When reading for information, higher reading skills are taught so that they can skim/scan text for what they need.                                                

Check out the Recommended Reading Lists

Click on the book worm.