Intent:

To develop in our pupils a love and curiosity for the written and spoken word so that they will become discerning in their own language choices and interpretation of texts, fitting them well for their future studies and preparing them to be confident and eloquent entrants to an increasingly more competitive employment market.

Essential characteristics of Readers:

  • Excellent phonic knowledge and
  • Fluency and accuracy in reading across a wide range of contexts throughout the
  • Knowledge of an extensive and rich
  • An excellent comprehension of
  • The motivation to read for both study and for pleasure
  • Extensive knowledge through having read a rich and varied range of texts.

Our Approach:

At St. Mary’s we aim to build a culture of reading and to create lifelong readers. We do this through modelling, environment, exposure and the positive profiling of authors/books. We expect all our staff to promote the positive benefits of reading throughout the curriculum and wider school life. It is with this at the forefront of our minds that we aim to provide all of the learners with the key literacy skills in all their forms, in order for them to develop their ability to speak confidently, listen attentively, write and read fluently for a range of purposes.

As a school, we follow Read Write Inc. Phonics which is introduced from initial Sounds in Nursery, then carried through to the end of Key Stage 1. We recognise the importance of reading being an essential skill that grants access to the whole curriculum and life skills. It is with this at the forefront of our minds that we aim to provide all the learners within the federation with basic literacy skills, in order for them to develop their ability to speak, listen, read and write for a range of purposes.

The teaching of reading takes place across the curriculum; however, it is explicitly taught within certain parts of our curriculum offer that this handbook will summarise and explain. Whole-class reading is not a substitute for teaching children how to decode fluently. The only way that it can be meaningful for children who cannot decode is in addition to fluency sessions, not instead of. We need to make sure that every single child is listened to read, every week regardless of their ability. This will build their decoding, fluency and intonation skills. Good reading is modelled daily by an adult in the class during shared class read.

As soon as we can, when children have a sufficient reading ability, the Whole Class approach to Reading Skills is adopted. We use the VIPERS approach to the teaching of reading. This whole class approach is used; based on high quality texts, high level questioning and focused skill lessons. 

Whole-class reading is not a substitute for teaching children how to decode fluently. The only way that it can be meaningful for children who cannot decode is in addition to fluency sessions, not instead of. We listen to every single child read, every week regardless of their ability. This will build their decoding, fluency and intonation skills. Good reading is modelled daily by an adult in the class during shared class read.

Key Features of Reading at St. Mary's:

🌟 The systematic teaching of phonics has a high priority throughout Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. Phonics is taught daily to all children in Foundation Stage, Year 1 and those in Year 2 who have not passed the phonics screening test in Year 1.

🌟 Staff systematically teach learners the relationship between sounds and the written spelling patterns, or graphemes, which represent them.

🌟 Phonics is delivered in homogenous groups based on the . A sound is taught as a whole class. Later, groups depart depending on ability group and staffing. This is because it enables staff to ensure application across subjects, embedding the process in a rich reading environment for early readers.

🌟 We plan timely interventions for those children who are working below expected levels as soon as needs are identified.

🌟 The school ensures all texts are accurately matched to pupil ability (see our Fiction overview for the high quality texts in each year). These texts are based on various reading spines to give a sufficient challenge as our pupils move through the school. Where possible links are made to learning across the curriculum to build/secure their knowledge.

🌟 Our home reader books are carefully banded and matched to the phonic phases. All are phonetically decodable for their level. In EYFS and KS1, the children take home books, that are accurately matched to their reading ability and are fully decodable.

🌟 All children from Year 1 upwards take part in 4 x Whole Class Reading sessions per week (minimum). All teachers use these to introduce pupils to a range of genres and to teach a range of techniques which enable children to comprehend the meaning of what they read.

🌟 All classrooms have their own class reading corners with age related books divided into fiction, non-fiction and poetry. The purpose is to promote reading and the class author and it is intended that these corners are further enhanced throughout the year.

🌟 Progression is established through the use of sequential learning steps: based on an increase in questioning and stem response expectations as well as an increase in text type ability. This is followed up by domain focussed comprehension tasks which are sequenced according to year group and ability.

(See question and response stem document for detailed breakdown of yearly progression.)

🌟 Any children not making the expected progress have 1:1 or small group intervention using bespoke packages (e.g. Fast Track 1-1 Tutoring)

Progression and Handbook:

Phonic Policy:

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