Reading
Trannack Reading Intent
How do we prioritise reading?
- Each of our classrooms has a reading corner where pupils can sit comfortably during the day to read a book. Books are rotated regularly by staff to match the class topic and pupils’ interests. The area is resourced with comics, magazines and newspapers to extend reading for pleasure and in the EYFS/ Year 1 class teddies and puppets are used to encourage reading aloud and re-telling stories.
- Each classroom has a selection of books as a mini library with a selection of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
- We endeavour to use books and high quality texts to enrich the learning and provide access to a range of genre.
- To encourage reading at home we reward pupils with reading karate bands. We also use this to monitor pupils not reading at home so we can provide extra provision in school.
- Reading is celebrated in our school celebration assembly each week, with pupils being awarded reading karate coloured bands for reading at home. We also hold reading events throughout the year such as Extreme Reading, Book Breakfasts and World Book Day.
- Guided reading sessions take place daily in all classes. Reading sessions run from 9.10 to 9.45
- Read Write Inc (RWI) is followed at EYFS and KS1. Year 2 pupils who have progressed beyond the RWI scheme continue to learn to read and spell words through RWI spelling books. Phonics is taught daily with one to one tutoring in place to support children to keep up.
- Early reading is encouraged by providing pupils with non-worded reading books in the first instance. Once they have developed their phonics and decoding skills they are then moved on to texts that match their phonic ability and are fully decodable.
- Pupils who are learning phonics in EYFS and KS1 take home three books: a RWI reading book that they have read in school and the matching book bag book. These books are sent home with an emphasis on reading for fluency. Both these books are decodable. They will also choose a library book as a book to be read to for pleasure. Once children reach the end of RWI grey books they will move to two books a this may be a banded book and a library book. Children will continue to be given support in what books to choose as their individual reading book.
- Pupils have access to our library and are encouraged to take library books home, in addition to their regular reading books. In EYFS and KS1 pupils take a library book home as a book to share for pleasure as part of their reading books.
How do we promote a love of reading?
- All staff are expert readers, modelling reading skills, discussing texts read with the pupils and sharing their own love of reading.
- Teachers read class stories to promote a love and enjoyment of stories, immersing them in the world of imagination. Teachers also read a poem a day.
- Our learning opportunities incorporate a range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, to expose pupils to different texts they may enjoy.
- We map core texts across the year for each class.
- Guided reading sessions allow time for pupils to discuss their reading, helping them to make sense of what they have read.
- Pupils are encouraged to access the library and change books on a regular basis. This is in addition to their reading book from our RWI reading scheme.
- We encourage pupils in each class to share their love of reading eg by inviting them to recommend great reads to their peers; attend book swaps and making bookmarks for the books they have read.
- We celebrate reading by holding events such as World Book Day, Book breakfasts and story time sessions.
How do we make sure pupils make progress?
- Phonics is taught following the RWI progression of sounds to ensure a systematic approach. Phonics lessons follow the same daily sequence. Planning includes assessment for the graphemes taught. Phonics is assessed half termly to identify gaps in learning to inform future planning and intervention. In the reception year phonics is assessed more regularly in the first term to identify gaps to inform catch up sessions using one to one tutoring.
- Each class has five dedicated 40 minute guided reading sessions per week. These sessions are well-structured and provide opportunity for pupils to read independently, as part of a group which is adult led and to develop comprehension skills.
- The school supports pupils to be expert readers by developing the reading key skills through teaching VIPERS.
-Vocabulary: understanding and explaining what we have read including new vocabulary
-Inference: making inferences from the text
– Predicting: Using the knowledge of what we have read to make predictions about forthcoming events or actions in a story
-Explaining: explaining preferences, thoughts and opinions about the text
-Retrieval: using and finding evidence in the text.
-KS1 Sequencing/ KS2 Summarising: identifying the main points of the text by recapping prior reading, scanning and using key words.
-Predicting: Using the knowledge of what we have read to make predictions about forthcoming events or actions in a story
- There is a clear progression of reading skills from Reception to Year 6 against which pupils’ progress is measured and gaps are noted and acted on.
- Pupils who are struggling with phonics as identified in assessments are given one to one tutoring. In key stage two fresh start phonics is used to support children to keep up.
- Pupils who need further opportunity to practise reading because they do not read at home, are given priority to read to an adult in school. Class teachers ensure volunteers, who come into school to hear readers, are trained to support reading appropriately.
- Staff have pupil progress meetings and the Reading Lead completes pupil conferencing in reading.
- We assist parents with supporting reading by providing parents meetings, reading information meetings, information on the website and letters home. We also share weekly videos using our class dojo platform using the RWI virtual classroom to support reading and spelling.
How do we match the pupils’ reading books to their phonic ability?
- Pupils are assessed daily in phonics as well as half termly using the RWI assessments. Assessment then informs which books match to the pupil’s phonic ability.
- RWI reading teachers are responsible for changing and or checking the pupil’s reading books.
- We use RWI throughout the school as a reading scheme. We monitor progress in reading and then match their ability to the stage of reading on the scheme. This is done through notes from guided reading sessions and the half termly assessments.
- Pupils follow a 3 day or 5 day reading plan depending on the RWI level. Once the plan is completed the book will be sent home with the accompanying book bag book for reading for fluency.
- KS2 staff monitor the books chosen by ‘free readers’ to check the books are suitably challenging for them. Reading diaries are collected in The UKS2 class to monitor reading.
- Guided reading books are also selected carefully to challenge the reading of different groups of pupils in school and to ensure a breadth of questions using VIPERS.
How do we teach phonics from the start?
Phonics teaching begins with our youngest pupils from the time they join us in Little Learners. Phase 1 is promoted and embedded within the curriculum, exposing pupils to sound rich activities which provide the foundations for reading and writing. We complete baseline assessments in communication, language and literacy to support and identify speech, language and communication needs. In the Summer term pre-reception children are introduced to the RWI sounds.
Pupils begin learning letter sounds on entry to Reception. Following the RWI system pupils are immersed in a directed teaching approach which embeds systematic phonics skills as the core skills for reading. Sounds are taught in a specific order, and regular assessment informs future planning and interventions.
First, pupils will learn to read:
- Set 1 Speed Sounds: these are sounds written with one letter: m a s d t i n p g o c k u b f e l h r j v y w z x and sounds written with two letters digraphs: sh th ch qu ng nk ck ss ll ff
- Words containing these sounds, by sound-blending, e.g. m–a–t mat, c–a–t cat, g–o–t got, f–i–sh fish, s–p–o–t spot, b–e–s–t best, s–p–l–a–sh splash.
Second, we will learn to read:
- Set 2 Speed Sounds: ay ee igh ow oo oo ar or air ir ou oy
- Words containing these sounds.
Third, we will learn to read:
- Set 3 Speed Sounds: ea oi a-e i-e o-e u-e aw are ur er ow ai oa ew ire ear ure as well as the sounds ue, au, wh, ph, oe, ie
- Words containing these sounds.
From set 2 pupils will learn 2 or 3 new sounds per week.
To support the learning in school, pupils take home phonic books that match the sounds they have learnt each week. They also take home their phonically decodable reading book to reinforce the sounds taught and the red words (common exception words).
- Phonics is discussed with parents in the Transition to School meeting and parents are given resources to support phonics at home.
- When Reception pupils have started school another meeting on supporting phonics is provided for parents.
- Weekly videos are posted on class dojo using the RWI virtual classroom to support reading and spelling.
How do we support pupils to keep up?
- Summative data is submitted once a term and pupil progress analysis is taken from this. Pupils identified by class teachers and in pupil progress meetings as not making progress have interventions planned for them and teaching staff are aware of who is a priority for intervention/support.
- Formative data informs day-to-day planning and teachers adapt and change this according the pupil needs.
- Pupils who did not achieve their phonics check receive interventions (daily reader/extra phonics support) and/or work in a group which is teacher driven.
- Where progress becomes a concern, parents are invited to a meeting with the teacher and advice is given as to how they can further support their child at home.
How do we train staff to be reading experts?
- Teaching staff, including Teaching Assistants receive reading and phonics training regularly from the reading lead. The reading leader coaches staff as well as highlights CPD using the RWI portal. The reading leader meets weekly with the reading teachers to discuss good practise and future CPD.
- Subject leads for writing and reading attend the MAT network meetings and cascade relevant information back to the school. The reading leader has development days with a RWI lead.
- The Headteacher, School Improvement Partner and subject leads monitor guided reading sessions and conduct pupil conferencing to ensure agreed approaches and consistency are applied across the school.
- The reading lead monitors reading and offers guidance to staff with follow up actions.