Reading and Phonics

Reading

Regular Reading lessons are delivered where Word Reading, prosody and Comprehension skills are taught. Children take home at least one school reading book and record the reading of this in their reading record book. 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. Reading for pleasure and book talk is actively encouraged through a range of activities including book clubs, class reading swaps, and book recommendations in assemblies and class reading areas. We have also developed a reading cafe and reading nook in our entrance area to further embed this. It’s not only a place for reading but a place for book clubs, storytelling, and book talk. It’s used by teachers and pupils throughout the school day, and it’s open most lunchtimes for children to read and share books together.

Phonics

The children begin their reading journey in reception using Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised. They continue to follow this programme throughout EYFS and KS1, ensuring a consistent and structured approach to the teaching of phonics. Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised 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 year groups and small groups where appropriate. Assessment records are kept, and progress is reviewed regularly. Keep-up interventions are implemented where appropriate.

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

In addition to daily phonics lessons, daily reading lessons are delivered where children are taught decoding, prosody, and comprehension. Foundation and KS1 are given the opportunity to share their reading books at home with an adult. Children are allocated a phonically decodable, colour-banded reading book based on regular assessments. We encourage independence, and the children have the opportunity to 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; this may be in a sustained silent reading session or in a reading lesson. Regular reading lessons continue to develop decoding, prosody, and comprehension skills. Texts can include extracts or whole books. Where appropriate, children are allocated an individual colour-banded reading book, which progresses to free reading texts. We encourage independence, and the children change their own books. Some children will be heard regularly if they require extra support. Each term, a class book/novel is read to the children.

Useful Links

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised resources for parents can be found on the Little Wandle website here.

You can find more information on Essex Libraries here.

World Book day website