DREAM BIG!
Believe, Aspire, Achieve
At Carrwood Primary School, our English teaching programme follows the structure of the National Curriculum for each year group. We believe that learning the skills of reading does not just happen, reading must be taught throughout all aspects of the school, and we believe that this is key to academic success. It is our intention to ensure that by the end of their primary education, all pupils are able to read fluently and with confidence. We want our children to learn to read and then read to learn. We are committed to exposing all pupils to vocabulary rich reading materials and we intend to instil a love of reading so that our pupils:
- become curious learners who read confidently and independently
- develop enjoyment and pleasure in reading
- are able to access all areas of the curriculum
- can access, understand and begin to manage information
- understand the meaning of what is read to them and what they read
- respond to what they read
- become lifelong readers
We select our key texts from the very best in children’s literature, to significantly improve our children’s cultural literacy and wider knowledge of the world. These high quality texts are used in English lessons, across the wider curriculum, and to develop a love of reading.
Buttercups and Petals
At Carrwood, we are lucky enough to have settings for our youngest children. In ‘Buttercups’ we provide free play and stay sessions for ‘bumps’ to two year olds and ‘Petals’ is our two year old provision. In both ‘Buttercups’ and ‘Petals’, early interaction and exposure to language and books is our priority. Children in these settings are exposed to rhyme time sessions, daily storytime takes place in ‘Petals’, and we have also developed a ‘lending library’ to promote early reading and the enjoyment of books.
Early Reading in EYFS and Key Stage One
We understand the importance of teaching early reading skills effectively to ensure that our children grow into confident, fluent readers who enjoy a wide range of different texts. We teach reading in a systematic and structured way, building up children’s phonic knowledge and skills using the Read Write Inc Phonics programme. The systematic teaching of phonics has a high priority throughout the foundation stage and Key Stage 1. Phonics is taught from Nursery, from the Summer term onwards, and is taught daily to all pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 until they complete the Read Write Inc programme.
In order for a child to enjoy reading, they need to be able to access a range of texts at their level. All individual and group reading books in Reception and Key Stage 1 match the pupil’s phonic knowledge, ensuring that all words can be decoded. Each book has been organised into sets corresponding with the Read Write Inc phonics programme.
All children from Reception to Year 2 are involved in small group reading sessions following the ‘Storybook’ format from the Read Write Inc phonics programme. Whole class reading sessions are also gradually introduced in Key Stage 1, using the ‘Complete Comprehension’ programme.
Key Stage Two
In Key Stage 2, reading skills lessons taught daily and are delivered to the whole class. During these sessions children read a variety of high quality extracts and texts. They practice, refine and develop their reading fluency and comprehension skills. There is significant research that suggests that fluency underpins comprehension. Children who read fluently have a much stronger chance of understanding the text they have read. We currently use the ‘Complete Comprehension’ programme for this and we make explicit links to specific reading skills. Each session focusses on a particular reading comprehension strand se reading strands and we use questioning and a range of activities to teach and practice these skills. We aim to make each session as enjoyable as possible.
Reading in English Lessons
We have a carefully chosen core set of texts for each year group that are used in English lessons. Within the EYFS, huge emphasis is given to the development of communication and language as this underpins all other areas of learning. Across our EYFS settings we ensure children access a language rich environment where high quality language is modelled by all adults. Language is further promoted through reading frequently to the children and engaging them in stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems.
From Year 1 onwards, we teach English as whole class lessons so that all children have access to age related skills and knowledge in line with the National Curriculum. We follow a three stage approach to teaching English and the first phase of this is the reading phase. We use high quality texts within our English lessons. Each session in the reading phase is linked to specific reading comprehension skills. In Key Stage One we focus on word meaning, retrieval, sequencing, inference and predicting. In Key Stage Two we teach all of the above skills plus relationship, word choioce and comparison.
Key Stage One:
Key Stage Two:
These key elements come together for a child to become a skilled reader. Each teaching session focusses on one of the above reading strands and we use questioning and a range of activities to teach and practise these skills. We aim to make each session as enjoyable as possible. We provide opportunities to read across the curriculum to ensure that these skills are transferred to all curriculum subjects.
Assessment and Intervention
Formative assessment takes place during all phonics lessons, staff quickly identify who has and has not picked up a new sound, this information is then used to inform future planning. Summative assessment takes place half termly. Knowledge of each sound is checked, as well as the child being able to apply this when reading and spelling words.
Phonics does not stand alone at Carrwood Primary School. We integrate this into many areas of the curriculum, referring back to sounds and strategies wherever possible, ensuring that children keep up not catch up. Pupils who are making slower progress are identified rapidly and 1:1 or small group interventions are set up using bespoke packages that suit individual reading needs. The reading leaders and phonics fast track tutor oversees and monitors the needs of these children.
At Carrwood, we take a tenacious approach to ensure no child is left behind in reading. In order to close the gap for those who show signs of falling behind, we offer high quality interventions in addition to their quality first teaching. This continues into Key Stage 2. In years 3 and 4, children that need to continue their phonic journey stay on the Read Write Inc programme until they are confident with all sounds and fluent with their reading. In years 5 and 6, we provide the Read Write Inc intervention programme Fresh Start, which aims to develop pupils’ reading accuracy and fluency.
Weekly Reading Sessions
Nursery and Reception parents and carers are invited into school each week. In Nursery, parents are invited to attend ‘Rhyme time’ sessions and in Reception, staff hold a weekly reading morning.
Developing a Love of Reading
We provide our children with all reading genres so that they can determine what they most enjoy reading. We use pupil voice to ensure that we regularly update the reading matter that is available in school. Every teacher reads to their class daily and each class displays their ‘current read’ for all to see.
In order to develop our children’s knowledge of classic and modern authors we have termly ‘Year Group Authors’. This begins with an assembly where we find out about the chosen author and involves competitions and quizzes to engage the children. Each class is provided with a selection of their authors books and these are shared throughout the term
Here are this year’s ‘Year Group Authors’:
Reading for Pleasure
We encourage all our children to develop a love of reading and to read for pleasure. Here are some parts of our school that encourage this.
Each child in school takes home a ‘reading for pleasure’ book which has been chosen from their class library. Each class also has access to the school library and we also run weekly library and storytelling clubs. We have many inviting reading areas around school which also support this. Additionally, we use ‘Hooked on Books’ as an extra reading incentive. This is where a high-quality text is chosen by class teachers and is sent home with a different child each week.
Reading Events
We actively promote reading events such as, ‘World Book Day’, ‘National Poetry Week’, ‘Breakfast with a Book’ and ‘National Storytelling Week’. We invite parents and carers to take part in these events to help promote the importance of reading at home.
Reading at Home
Each child in school takes home two books per week. Children who are accessing the RWI programme take home a decodable reading book which is matched to their phonics level. This book will have been read in their phonics lesson the previous week. They will also take home a RWI ‘Book Bag Book’. Once children have completed the RWI programme, they then take home a book from their class library. Every child in school also takes home a ‘reading for pleasure’ book.
Poetry
‘Poetry in language rich classrooms builds shared memories for all children’ (DFE 2021). At Carrwood, each year group is allocated a core selection of poems to learn throughout the year. Poetry anthologies are displayed in every classroom.
Useful Websites
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-songs-index/zhwdgwx A collection of nursery songs from the Early Learning series Listen and Play and Playtime, both of which are currently available on iPlayer and as podcasts.
https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/S Suggested books for children, advice on how to read with your child, book lists, fun games, competitions to win free books, Children’s Book Club etc.
https://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/ Expert recommendations and extracts from a wide range of books.
https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk Phonics advice and access to free E-Books. Free to register.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXOJUPNVnLc Parent Video: Understanding Phonics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjlPILhk7bQ – Parent Video: What is Read Write Phonics?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFyDwUKSw7Y Parent Video: Introduction to Daily Read Write Inc. Phonics Sessions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkXcabDUg7Q Parent Video: How to say the sounds