READING
At Norfolk we value reading as a key life skill and are dedicated to enabling our pupils to become lifelong readers. Children should have the opportunity to be fluent, confident readers who are able to successfully comprehend and understand a wide range of texts. We want pupils to develop a love of reading, a good knowledge of a range of authors, and be able to understand more about the world in which they live through the knowledge they gain from texts.
We prioritise the importance of early reading by delivering a robust phonics programme in the Early Years and Key Stage 1, we use Read Write Inc. Through thorough tracking, we ensure that no child is left behind; those few pupils who find learning to read a challenge are supported through rigorous interventions to cater for their needs. We understand the importance of parents and carers in supporting their children to develop both word reading and comprehension skills and so we want to encourage a home-school partnership which enables parents and carers to understand how to enhance the skills being taught in school through good-quality texts. By the end of their time at primary school, we aim for all children to be able to read fluently, and with confidence before moving to their secondary school.
Reading in EYFS and KS1
EYFS
At Norfolk, children start their phonics learning from day one. Phonics teaching and learning in Nursery focuses on ensuring the children are “Read Write Inc. Ready” and therefore ready for their learning in Reception class. We do this through interactive and focused adult led sessions which help the children to hear, say and use the sounds they will need. This provides a foundation which enables children to become fluent readers as they move into Reception and Year One.
Reading for pleasure is part of every day teaching and learning at the school, therefore we ensure the importance of reading to and with a child is modelled in the setting and shared with the children’s parents. A focus on learning songs and rhymes is also at the heart of phonics nursery teaching and learning.
Children in Reception and KS1 follow the ‘Read Write Inc’ phonics programme. This offers a lively, structured approach to learning synthetic phonics. We place great emphasis on children mastering phonics in year Reception and year 1 to enable them to become skilful readers.
Once children know the letter sounds they will take home a reading book to practise reading at home, this book will be clearly matched to their reading and phonics level. Children in R, Y1 and Y2 have daily story time sessions with staff and parents are encouraged to share a wide range of books with their child at home through our 'books to enjoy' selection and our bedtime story bear. During years R, 1 and 2 parents will be invited to phonics workshops and sessions to learn how they can support their children with reading at home.
KS1
In Year 1 and 2, the mechanics of reading continues to be taught through daily phonics sessions following the SSP RWI scheme. Children in Y2 who complete the phonics scheme move on to the RWI comprehension programme. Children also access guided reading daily in small groups with an adult. In Y1 and Y2 we follow the RWI 'Talk Through Stories.'
Read Write Inc's 'Talk through Stories' is designed to extend and deepen children’s vocabulary so that they can understand the books they will be able to read for themselves. Children get to know stories really well and deepen their vocabulary while enjoying engaging and high quality texts.
Children who struggle to learn to read or who make slower progress in their reading development can receive one-to-one phonics tutoring at school. We use a tutoring programme from RWInc that provides individualised lessons directed at the exact gaps children have in their reading development. This is tracked and assessed every 6 weeks or earlier if a child has been identified as needed an earlier assessment.
Reading in KS2
In KS2, reading has a whole class approach and is taught discretely for half an hour five times per week. High quality texts are chosen, appropriate to the expectations of the year group or ability of children, and teachers use this to model the application of the agreed reading skills.
Children will hear an adult read to them at least three times a week using the class text/novel. Immersive reading texts are planned into the curriculum in all classes and are embedded into the reading routines across the year.
Class reading sessions provide teachers with the opportunity to model the fluency, pace, intonation and expression, key elements of reading with the notion that children will try to emulate this in their own reading. During discussion of the text, the teacher will model the expectation for high quality responses, identifying key evidence and explanations to provide support to justify responses, a key skill that children need to acquire during their school journey. Teachers can implicitly point out to the children the language and author's intentions that sometimes children, unless exposed to, can miss.
In our school, children will have access to learning reading fluency and comprehension through high-quality, challenging texts. Daily, Quality First Teaching by the class teacher will enable all children to access these texts successfully. Sessions include a focus on reading aloud and pupils should read aloud and practise expression as much as possible. We use a variety of reading strategies such as; reading aloud, choral reading, echo reading, paired reading, expression battles and drama.
Children in Y3 and Y4 who did not complete the phonics programme in KS1 will continue to be supported with this in intervention groups in KS2.
For older pupils in Years 5 and 6 who still require phonics support, we use Fresh Start, a targeted intervention that mirrors the RWI structure but is adapted for more mature learners. Each module features stand-alone texts designed to interest older children while gradually building the skills needed for reading and writing. The programme supports the development of phonics knowledge, sentence memorisation, vocabulary, spelling, and grammar.
Developing The Love of Reading:
At Norfolk, we encourage reading for pleasure and will strive to give pupils stimulating environments, where reading materials are presented in an attractive and inviting way, using various nooks and crannies available. Books are used to enhance displays and to provide reference points for deeper learning. Furthermore, within English lessons we create an environment that stimulates the generation of ideas from texts where all ideas are accepted and valued.
Each classroom has a dedicated reading area to encourage and motivate children to read. These areas provide a comfortable and relaxing area where books can be shared and enjoyed and are changed on a termly basis to ensure that interest is maintained. Each classroom is stocked with a rich variety of books based upon the children’s interests thus allowing the children to have access to a significant 'library' collection of books of various genres for the children to enjoy.
Various initiatives for promoting the love of reading include:
● World Book Day promotion yearly
● Book swaps and the Reading Cafe
● Reading for Pleasure - in class
● Lunchtime Reading Shed
● Immersive reading areas
● Book talk
● Story time
● School library
● Author Visits
● The 'Library Bus ' Trolley
●Sheffield Children's Book Awards
● SSELP Reading Project
Each classroom is stocked with a variety of books based upon the children’s interests thus allowing the children to have access to a significant 'library' collection of books of various genres for the children to enjoy. These books are swapped termly and stocked up with a selection from the Sheffield Teacher's Library.
If your child is finding it difficult to know what they want to read, here are some ideas:
We greatly appreciate all the support you give in supporting and encouraging your children to read at home and we are looking forward to an exciting year full of reading ahead!
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