Reading
Intent
At Southwold Primary School, we hold a strong belief in the power of reading as a gateway to independent learning, igniting the imagination and bringing forth a world of wonder and joy for young, curious minds. We are dedicated to fostering confident, enthusiastic, and reflective readers who derive immense pleasure, understanding, and comprehension from their reading experiences. We firmly believe that success in reading stems from your unwavering passion, insatiable thirst for knowledge, and unwavering commitment to learning.
Our primary goal is to instil an abiding love for reading and the understanding that it is an indispensable lifelong skill, opening the doors to boundless opportunities. With a focus on Speaking and Listening, Phonics and Word Reading, as well as Comprehension (both through listening and reading), we strive to accomplish the following objectives:
- Equipping all children with the necessary skills and strategies to read effortlessly, fluently, and with a deep understanding.
- Ensuring all children possess the phonological understanding to read words accurately.
- Cultivating a habit of reading extensively and regularly, both for pleasure and acquiring knowledge.
- Encouraging the use of an expanding technical vocabulary to engage in ‘book talk,’ enabling children to acquire a wide-ranging lexicon while developing an understanding of grammar and the conventions of reading, writing, and spoken language.
- Guaranteeing that all children read widely, exploring diverse genres in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, and engaging in discussions about the construction of narratives.
- Nurturing the ability to critically evaluate and analyse what is read.
- Cultivating study skills, empowering children to select appropriate fiction and non-fiction books from the library.
- Enhancing children’s competence in the arts of speaking and listening, enabling them to deliver formal presentations, demonstrate their knowledge to others, and actively participate in debates.
- Instilling the understanding that reading is an essential aspect of life, and everyone should possess the ability to do so effectively.
Implementation
- At Southwold Primary School, we work to promote a love of reading in all children and fostering a text rich environment where children understand how language works as well as develop the skills they need to be proficient readers and to interpret texts accurately. Around school, you will see well-equipped reading corners and a well-stocked and vibrant Library area. In addition to this, throughout the year, the importance of reading is enhanced through activities such as Southwold Stops for a Story, Southwold Stops for a Story Baskets, World Book Day, Reading for Pleasure, book fairs and reading challenges.
Teaching Reading beyond Read Write Inc.
At Southwold Primary School, we teach reading through
- Daily dedicated high quality taught phonics sessions from Reception to Year 2
- Phonics intervention sessions for children in KS2 who did not pass the phonics check or who need additional support
- Daily Shared Reading sessions with a focus on VIPERS skills. (VIPERS is an acronym to aid the recall of the 6 reading domains as part of the UK’s reading curriculum. They are the key areas which we feel children need to know and understand in order to improve their comprehension of texts.) The children are exposed to a range of different texts and can demonstrate their understanding and thinking behind these.
- Children are read to each day by an adult to develop their love for reading for pleasure.
- Children are provided with a text rich curriculum. These high-quality texts expose the children to higher level vocabulary.
- To further categorize the essential knowledge needed for effective shared reading, The Reading Ape has identified the following categories:
- Topic knowledge: Refers to the specific subject matter or theme of a text. For example, having knowledge about animals when reading a book about wildlife.
- Domain knowledge: Relates to disciplinary areas or specialized fields, such as biology, history, or mathematics. Developing domain knowledge enables children to comprehend texts that delve into specific subjects deeply.
- Cultural knowledge: Encompasses understanding cultural references, traditions, and societal norms. Cultural knowledge plays a significant role in comprehending texts that incorporate diverse perspectives and contexts.
- General or World Knowledge: Encompasses a wide range of knowledge about the world, including geography, current events, and historical events. This knowledge contributes to understanding texts that draw upon real-world situations or reference historical events.
Early reading books are sorted by phonics stage. Children then move on to colour banded books. Once children have confidently read the colour banded books, they will move on to books they can choose independently as they are now classed as free readers. Along with close monitoring from class teachers, this ensures pupils are reading books with an appropriate level of challenge.
Reading for Pleasure
All classrooms should have an attractive, comfortable and inviting book area. There should be a range of high-quality books, fiction and non-fiction, in a variety of genres and styles and reflecting both genders and the diverse culture of our children. All classrooms should also have a special book basket to promote a further intrigued and desire to read a range of book by creating a supply and demand on these novelty books.
Southwold Stops for a Story
This a dedicated and ring-fenced time for reading for pleasure. It is timetable to occur every day between11:55am and 12:10pm. It is specifically designed for pupils to engage in reading for pleasure and informal book talk. The session can be led by either teachers or pupils, fostering a collaborative and inclusive reading environment.
During ‘Southwold Stops for a Story,’ pupils are encouraged to share book recommendations and discuss their reading experiences. This activity promotes a love for reading, enhances reading comprehension skills, and encourages peer-to-peer engagement.
Staff are encouraged to promote a relaxed space where pupils can explore various genres and authors, enhancing their literary knowledge and fostering a lifelong passion for reading.
Timetable for ‘Southwold Stops for a Story’:
- Monday: Teacher-Led Session
During this session, a teacher may choose a book to read aloud to the pupils, engage in a discussion about a specific genre or author, or introduce a reading-related activity.
- Tuesday: Teacher-Led Session
Similar to Monday, this session will be led by a teacher who will facilitate a reading activity or discussion.
- Wednesday: Book Basket
On Wednesdays, pupils will have the opportunity to explore the Book Basket. This is a diverse collection of books available for pupils to choose from based on their personal preferences. They can select a book to read independently or with a partner or during the designated reading for pleasure time.
- Thursday: Interactive Reading Experience
- During this session, pupils will engage in an interactive reading experience. This may involve watching a story being read aloud from platforms such as Storyline Online suggested by Bookfortopics. The video can be selected based on the pupils’ interests or aligned with a specific topic or theme.
- Friday: Pupil Nomination & Vote/Show & Tell
Pupils will have the opportunity to nominate books they have enjoyed and would like to recommend to their peers. They may have a chance to vote for their favourite recommendation, promoting a sense of ownership and engagement within the classroom.
Library sessions – One weekly visit
Southwold Primary School is fortunate to have a well-stocked library that offers a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction books. To ensure that pupils have regular access to the library and its resources, each class is allocated a weekly slot to visit. During these library sessions, teachers assist pupils in signing out books of their choice, allowing them to borrow and enjoy the book during the session and then home.
The library’s collection is continually updated to provide pupils with a diverse range of reading materials. This ensures that the books available reflect a variety of interests, genres, and reading levels, catering to the diverse preferences and needs of the pupils.
Impact
Children will leave Southwold as competent readers. They can read books to enhance their knowledge and understanding of all subjects in our curriculum and communicate their research to a wider audience. They will have a thirst for reading a wide range of high-quality texts across the genres, participate in discussions about books and have an established love of reading for life.
We use NTS summative testing, past SATs papers in Years 2 and 6, Fresh Start assessments and book band level checks each term to assess pupils’ outcomes for reading. This enables progress and attainment in reading to be analysed and evaluated in order to identify the next steps of learning.
The quality of reading and writing in English is evaluated by learning walks, drop-ins, ‘pupil voice’ discussions and book looks. This informs the subject leader of the impact of new initiatives as well as future areas for improvement. After monitoring, the subject leader provides feedback to SLT and individuals/whole staff to address areas for development.
Parent and Carer Information:
Tips for reading with your child | BookTrust
How to Help my Child with Reading: A Guide for Parents (teacherstoyourhome.com)
KS1 Reading Vipers For Parents And Carers
KS2 Reading Vipers For Parents And Carers
Reading With Your Child Booklet For Parents 4 6 Year Olds