Reading
Intent
At Whitehill Primary School, we believe that reading opens doors for our pupils, improving their language and vocabulary skills and stimulating their imaginations. We aim to provide children with an English-rich environment which provides a rich cultural, emotional and diverse reading curriculum. We have a unwavering commitment to ensuring that all our learners learn to read fluently regardless of their background, needs or ability. We use high quality texts and inspiring learning opportunities to ensure that our learners:
- Gain a life-long enjoyment of reading and books.
- Read accurately, fluently and with understanding;
- Apply a knowledge of structured synthetic phonics in order to decode unfamiliar words with increasing accuracy and speed;
- Be able to read with expression, clarity and confidence;
- Read and respond to a wide range of different types of texts;
- Develop a deeper level of emotional intelligence and empathy;
- Read fluently, and with confidence across the wider curriculum.
Our number one priority is creating a school full of fluent, independent readers, who love to read and read to learn!
Implementation
At Whitehill, we adopt a collaborative approach to the teaching of reading to ensure all needs are catered for and met. Guided and independent work are at the heart of delivering our reading curriculum. Through the delivery of our reading curriculum we ensure a consistent and robust teaching and learning of early reading and phonics in FS and KS1, so that pupils are able to read with increased speed and fluency and access the wider curriculum.
We follow the Read Write Inc. early reading and phonics programme in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Children are provided with books that match and support their phonics development and ability.
In Key Stage 2 we teach reading using a whole class reading approach which offers learners opportunities every day to listen to expert readers, demonstrate and practise reading aloud with fluency and expression. We use a variety of 'real' books giving children a very early appreciation and enthusiasm for reading good quality books and in particular, reading for pleasure or information. This is supplemented with non-fiction and poetry books which helps children to read a across a variety of different genres.
Pupils throughout the school have opportunities to develop their reading skills daily, and are encouraged to visit the school library and read at home with an adult. We provide a text rich environment, in order to encourage a positive culture of reading throughout all classes and promote pupils’ enjoyment of reading. Through high quality teaching and learning experiences we will develop children’s skills and competence. The use of core texts underpins our reading curriculum. Through the use of high quality texts pupils are encouraged to develop their vocabulary, consider a range of issues and deeper meanings in texts, develop comprehension skills and enjoyment of books. Reading skills are continually developed through the wider curriculum.
Impact
All pupils will be able to read with accuracy, speed, confidence, fluency and understanding. When they leave at the end of Key Stage 2 they will be ready to access the secondary curriculum. All pupils will make at least good progress from their starting points. Pupils will develop a life-long enjoyment of reading and books. The children’s progress in reading and phonics is assessed formatively on a day to day basis, as well as summatively every term.