Phonics:

We teach reading in Early Years and Key Stage 1 through a rigorous daily programme of systematic, synthetic phonics using letters and sounds. We currently use the Twinkl Phonics Scheme. 

Children are taught in groups which reflect the phonics phase that they are currently work on. The children enjoy upbeat, lively and practical sessions which are full of games, songs and interesting activities that enhance their reading and spelling skills and their love of reading.

The Reading Scheme: 

In Early Years and Key Stage 1, we use 'Rhino Readers' phonics books which link directly to the phonics teaching that the child is receiving; enabling them to apply their phonics knowledge to reading. 

As children master phonics, they move on to our Accelerated reader scheme. 

Accelerated Reader:

Through Accelerated Reader, children complete an online Star test which determines their reading age, and the level of books that will best support their progress: recommending books that are in the school library. After the children read a book, they then complete a short online quiz which tests their comprehension. For every quiz they complete, they earn points and contribute to a whole-school competition. The aim is for every child to become a reading millionaire having red over one million words. 

Accelerated reader motives children, and allows us to track children on their reading journey throughout school. 

Throughout the school children will come into contact with high-quality texts across the curriculum from a range of authors. We also promote a balanced reading diet of poetry, fiction and non-fiction genres.

The English Curriculum

All of our English lessons link to a class text and teachers read to children for at least fifteen minutes every day. We find this really promotes a love of reading and immersion in a text. It also means that children get a rich and broad reading diet and come across lots of different text types and authors as part of their English lessons. 

Home Reading:

We encourage children in EYFS and Key Stage 1 to share a book/read with an adult every night (with this being recorded in their reading diary).

In Key Stage 2, children develop into more confident and independent readers and therefore we expect them to read every night but appreciate that this may not always be with an adult. We therefore ask that adults engage in ‘book talk’ with their children, finding out about the things they have read, the characters, the storyline and their opinions. This should also be recorded in their reading diary.

Above all else, we want to promote a love of reading. Through competitions like ‘Extreme Reading’, 'Reading Champions' and through events like World Book Day, and author and poet visits.