What is the purpose for teaching Reading?
Reading lies at the heart of the English curriculum at Gaddesby and we endeavour to foster a lifelong love of the written word and English language. We follow the National Curriculum English objectives so that by the end of their time at primary school all children will be able to read fluently, and with confidence in any subject, and who are able to successfully comprehend and understand a wide range of texts.
We ensure children receive purposeful exposure to high quality texts, which include picture books, classics and non-fiction. We have introduced a poetry spine where the children will share a range of poems, including anthologies and collections, each week. Our genre studies are carefully crafted so that children are equipped with the necessary skills to be confident and competent readers, who can express their thoughts and ideas clearly and creatively through written work. Additionally, the curriculum places a strong emphasis on promoting a love of books and reading for pleasure. Each class has a book corner and we have a central school library that is easily accessible for children to choose appropriate books from.
The English skills of reading, writing and oracy are also intertwined into the wider curriculum. At Gaddesby, we take every opportunity possible to enhance the cultural capital of our learners and equip them with the knowledge and experiences needed in the wider world. Texts are chosen to introduce children to cultural diversities, develop empathy and promote curiosity. We spend time learning about a different modern or classic author each term.
To ensure children are exposed to a wide genre of texts, we have also introduced a poetry spine where the children will share a range of poems, including anthologies and collections, each week.
How we teach reading
At Gaddesby our children read regularly at home and at school. We teach reading 5 days a week and also offer many opportunities for children to read throughout the school day.
In EYFS, children begin their early reading journey by learning grapheme–phoneme correspondence and blending following the Twinkl scheme. The children continue using this scheme in year 1 to further develop these skills. Reading books are matched to children’s phonetical awareness. They also have reading practise sessions that focus on decoding, prosody and comprehension. Please see the Phonics page for more information.
Children in Year 2 continue with Twinkl Phonics, where they revisit level 5 and cover level 6 learning which moves on to learning spellings. Through spelling lessons, the children learn to consider etymology, morphology and grammar when spelling new words. The programme provides full coverage of National Curriculum spelling requirements. The children in Year 1 and 2 are taught reading through carefully planned group reading sessions, book clubs and whole class discussion.
From Year 3 onwards, children are taught reading through whole class reading sessions. These are carefully planned and questioning is used to assess and extend children’s learning. Whole class reading sessions expose children to a wide range of novels and extracts from a range of genres which aim to challenge their thinking and develop their vocabulary, Inference, prediction, explanation, retrieval and summarising skills.
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.