“Pupils are thoroughly immersed in literature, from the youngest age. They talk knowledgeably about stories, books and authors they enjoy.” Ofsted Report Feb 2014
At St. Andrew’s we aim to ensure that our pupils receive the full entitlement of the National Curriculum, as stated in the Programmes of Study and that they will be taught and have opportunities to develop the two key dimensions of reading:
- Word reading
- Comprehension (both listening and reading).
We also aim to:
- Develop a love of literature in a wide range of formats and to develop a habit of reading widely and often, both for pleasure and information
- Develop a sound knowledge of phonics and to begin to use contextual clues to sound out / work out unfamiliar words
- Read increasingly challenging and lengthy texts confidently, expressively and independently
- Reflect upon, analyse and discuss texts
- Use higher order reading skills effectively eg. inference and deduction skills
- Acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
- Appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
Our reading scheme is housed in the Learning Hub and Key Stage 2 Library. The books are colour banded and are linked to the “Herts for Learning” reading levels. We have many different books for the children to choose from. Some are from commercial reading schemes, such as Oxford Reading Tree, Collins and Ginn. However, there are also many real books by authors to encourage the pupils to gain a love of reading – right from a very early stage. The scheme includes non-fiction, fiction and poetry books.
Pupils are given, or guided to choose, a reading book within the appropriate colour band. Beyond ‘Lime’, they become ‘free readers’ and are able select a book at the appropriate level from the library. Children in upper Key Stage 2 use Scholastic Reading Pro to help ensure that books they are selecting are at an appropriate level of challenge. Our pupils are also supported and assessed in their reading through regular guided reading sessions, whole class shared reading, and regular ‘Take One Book’ English modules.
We really appreciate the important role that parents and carers play in supporting our pupil’s reading progress. All children have a home/school reading record which ensures effective communication between their parent/carer and teacher. We also benefit from loyal volunteers who regularly come and share books with pupils.
Teaching of Phonics
We plan our phonics systematically using the LCP scheme, which is based on Letters and Sounds and the revised statutory requirements of the 2014 Primary Curriculum. We may also use other resources, such as Jolly Phonics and Monstor Phonics, to support and enhance this scheme whenever appropriate. Pupils are gradually introduced to initial sounds through modelling, repetition and playing games involving the sounds. They are also often taught in smaller groups depending upon their need. At the end of Year 1 each child’s phonic knowledge is assessed in a statutory phonics screening test carried out on a one-to-one basis with the class teacher. Children who do not reach the expected level continue being taught phonics in Year 2.
For more information about this scheme you can follow this link:
- English Programme of Study (367KB)