English Reading Subject Leader:
At Rosherville Church of England Primary Academy, English reading is given top priority and is a key driver for our curriculum.
Our reading curriculum strives to foster a lifelong love of reading. Throughout the week every class has timetabled time for the children to ‘drop everything and read’. This is a time when the children can choose what they want to read and choose from a wide range of fiction, and non-fiction books, poetry, magazines, newspapers and comics from their class reading corners. The children are given time for book talk where they can talk about what they have read with their peers and the rest of the class. This is also a time for teachers to listen to children read and for children to read and quiz on their AR books.
Intent
Reading is the main vehicle through which children will discover essential knowledge. Reading is the driving force behind our curriculum and is promoted at every opportunity. At Rosherville, you will see reading to pupils, reading with pupils and reading by pupils.
Our reading curriculum strives to foster a lifelong love of reading. This curriculum is delivered through synthetic phonics, guided reading, home reading, reading across the curriculum, regular opportunities for independent reading and hearing quality texts read aloud every day. All of these are essential components as they offer the range of opportunities needed to develop fluent, enthusiastic and critical readers.
Implementation
We build a language rich environment where we ensure all children have access to fiction, non-fiction, rhymes and poetry. Our teachers have an excellent knowledge of children’s literature and have carefully chosen high quality texts for our children to become familiar with and enjoy listening to and reading both at school, and at home with their families. These texts are intentionally chosen to support our curriculum themes of exploration, global responsibility, creativity, sense of self, comparison and service to develop pupils’ vocabulary, language comprehension and a love of reading.
We want to take every opportunity possible to enhance the cultural capital of our learners to equip them with the knowledge and experiences needed for society and the desire to aspire and achieve social mobility whatever their starting point. One way in which we promote cultural capital via reading is by providing and exposing our children to a range of texts, from different genres, that have been written by authors from a wide range of backgrounds to promote cultural and moral learning.
We understand the significance of parents and carers in supporting their children to develop both word reading and comprehension skills, so we endeavour to build a home-school partnership which enables parents and carers to have the confidence to support their children with reading at home.
Impact
We are determined that every pupil will learn to read, regardless of their social and economic circumstances, ethnicity, the language spoken at home, special educational needs, or disabilities. We have uncompromising strategies for supporting, reinforcing, and accelerating the reading of individual children, particularly those who are falling behind.
Accelerated Reader
The class teacher will decide when it is appropriate for the children to start using Accelerated Reader. A child needs to have some fluency in their reading as this programme does not help children learn to read – it consolidates their learning and promotes reading comprehension rather than decoding and word reading skills.
Accelerated Reader is a computer program that helps teachers manage and monitor children’s independent reading practice. Children, with the support of their class teacher, pick a book at their own level and read it at their own pace. When finished, the children take a short quiz on the computer or IPAD. (Passing the quiz is an indication that the child understood what was read.) AR gives children and teachers feedback based on the quiz results, which the teacher then uses to help the children set goals and direct ongoing reading practice. Children using AR choose their own books to read within their reading level, rather than having one assigned to them. This makes reading a much more enjoyable experience as they can choose books that are interesting to them. Teachers help the children choose books at an appropriate readability level that are challenging without being frustrating, ensuring that the children can pass the quiz and experience success. If a child does not do well on the quiz, the teacher may help them choose another book that is more appropriate or ask more probing questions as they read and before they take their next quiz. In most cases, children really enjoy taking the quizzes. Since they’re reading books at their reading and interest levels, they are likely to be successful. This is satisfying for most children. Best of all, they learn and grow at their own pace.
English Reading in Each Stage
From EYFS, children read phonically decodable books which are carefully matched to each child’s secure phonic knowledge in reading words, including tricky words. Children who are not yet decoding have daily additional blending practice in small groups so that they quickly learn to blend and can begin to read books.
In Reception, children have access to the reading corner every day in their free flow time and the books are continually refreshed.
For more recommended reading, please visit the EYFS Class page.
To read our Phonics and Early Reading Policy, please visit the policy page.
In KS1, we teach children to read through reading practice sessions three times a week. Each reading practice session has a clear focus so that the demands of the session do not overload the pupil’s working memory. Pupils are given the opportunity to read texts from a range of sources including books, poetry, rhymes and research.
Click the links below to view recommended texts for year 1 and year 2:
Recommended Texts for Year One
Recommended Texts for Year Two
A wide and diverse range of texts is provided in school so we can engage all abilities and foster a love of reading, including High-Interest Low Reading Age for KS2 children. Pupils will now be confident, competent and fluent readers with the ability to comprehend a wide range of texts.
Click the links below to view recommended texts for year 3-6:
Recommended Texts for Year Three
Recommended Texts for Year Four
Recommended Texts for Year Five
Recommended Texts for Year Six
English Reading Progression
At Rosherville Primary Academy, we develop our pupil’s English Reading through essential skills; growing their depth of knowledge year after year. Through the use of Reading Levels, we are able to monitor their progress and allocate extra support and adaptations to the curriculum for pupils to maintain strong confidence in reading.
When progressing, young readers will, at a certain stage, successfully make the leap into their first chapter of books. To help pupils to pick a selection of short, illustrated chapter books that are perfect for children launching into independent reading, please click here.
SEND Information
Teachers adapt activities for accessibility for SEND groups and challenge more able and confident readers. Additional reading support is available for vulnerable children.
Children in Reception and Year 1 who are receiving additional phonics ‘Keep-up sessions’ read their reading practice book to an adult daily, this ensures consistency and pace of progress.
Remote Learning
The decodable reading practice book is taken home to ensure success is shared with the family. Reading for pleasure books also go home for parents to share and read to children. At Rosherville, we use the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised parents’ resources to engage our families and share information about phonics, the benefits of sharing books, how children learn to blend and other aspects of our provision, both online and through workshops.
Children from Reception onwards have a home reading record. The parent/carer records comments to share with the adults in school and the adults will write in this on a regular basis to ensure communication between home and school. As the children progress through school, they are encouraged to write their own comments and keep a list of the books/authors that they have read. Children across the school have regular opportunities to engage with a wide range of Reading for Pleasure events (book fairs, author visits and workshops, national events etc)
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