Reading and Phonics

Reading

In all classes daily Reading lessons are delivered where Word Reading and Comprehension skills are taught. Children take home at least one school book and record the reading of this in their home/school diaries. All children’s books are regularly monitored to ensure children are accessing appropriate and challenging texts. Children read with an adult in school during reading lessons and where appropriate, on a one to one basis. There are a full range of reading genres offered.

Phonics

The children begin their reading journey in reception using Letters and Sounds (Phase 2). They continue to follow this programme throughout EYFS and KS1, ensuring a consistent and structured approach to the teaching of phonics.  Letters and Sounds begins with the teaching of individual sounds and moves on to sound blending and introducing children to graphemes and diagraphs. This is used in conjunction with the statutory requirements in The National Curriculum. Phonics is taught on a daily basis. From here, children learn to read and write words and sentences using their knowledge of letter sounds. Children are taught in whole class and small groups. Assessment records are kept and groups are reviewed regularly.

Foundation Stage and Key Stage One (Years 1 and 2)

In addition to phonics lessons, Reading lessons are delivered every day where children develop their word reading and comprehension skills. Pupils in Foundation and KS1 are given the opportunity to share their reading books at home with an adult. From Year R the children also have the opportunity to choose a book from the class library to take home. Children are allocated a phonically decodable, colour banded reading book based on regular assessments. We encourage independence and the children have the opportunity change their own books. Some children will be heard daily if they require additional support. All teachers keep their own records of Reading sessions and individual readers. Teachers read a more challenging text to the children on a regular basis.

Lower Key Stage 2 (Years 3 and 4) and Upper Key Stage 2 (Years 5 and 6)

Children have the opportunity to read for pleasure independently and to read with an adult regularly; this may be in a sustained silent reading session or in a Reading lesson.  Reading lessons are daily and children work to improve their decoding, fluency and comprehension skills. Texts can include extracts or whole books. Children are allocated an individual colour banded reading book which progresses on to free reading texts. We encourage independence and the children change their own books. Some children will be heard daily if they require extra support. Each term a class book/ novel is read to the children.