Reading

Phonics

Read, Write Inc was introduced in September 2011 to improve reading standards. All staff who deliver RWI have completed a 2 day training process. Reception & Key Stage 1 children have 4 RWI sessions per week, each lasting 1 hour. Children who need more input (including those in KS2 who require extended input) have intervention sessions in the afternoons. Children are moved through the scheme as quickly as possible. Read, Write Inc assessments are carried out to inform groups. Children are assessed every 6 weeks, or as needed, to ensure quick progress.

Individual & Home Reading

Throughout school, children take home a levelled book according to their current attainment. These books are selected from a range of banded book schemes which aim develop fluency and enjoyment of a variety of texts (e.g. stories, poetry, information). Each child has a home-school reading record that teachers and parents can use to share information about a child’s reading. Parents are encouraged to read with their child daily. In school, teachers, TAs and Reading Helpers will listen to the children read their levelled book and change it when needed.

In Reception and KS1, children take home a levelled book according to their current attainment. These books are selected from a range of banded book schemes which aim develop fluency and enjoyment of a variety of texts (e.g. stories, poetry, information):

Oxford Reading Tree (inc Fireflies, Snapdragons, Songbirds & Wolf Hill), Project X, Raintree, Colour Young Hippo, Cambridge Reading, Collins, Puffin.

The book bands we use are shown below.

Once children have worked their way through the colour coded reading scheme, they will be moved on to ‘Free Reader’ which means they can choose their own text from the school library. Teachers will monitor choices to ensure children are choosing suitable texts. Classrooms also have a reading corner with a selection of books for the children to enjoy.

From Years 1-3, it is expected that parents record the pages read by the children at home in their Reading Records. In Years 4-6, children are encouraged to record this information independently, but parents are still expected to support the children with their reading. Teachers check Reading Records on a weekly basis which informs the use of Reading Helpers/TA support.  

High Frequency Words

High Frequency Words are known to the children as “Rainbow Words.” They have been grouped into colour bands and children move their name on their class rainbow as they progress through each set. The children start to learn these words in Reception as part of their 1:1 reading and packs are also sent home to enable parental support. Once children reach the end of their rainbow, they practise writing their HFW to reach their pot of gold. It is hoped that all children will have reached their pot of gold by the end of Year 1, however children will continue to be supported with the learning of these words in accordance with their individual needs.

Guided Reading

In Year 1, children become a part of a Guided Reading group as their Individual Reading skills develop. By the Summer Term, all children have a Guided Reading session with their teacher, each week. The children are be grouped according to ability and targeted questions will relate to our Active Reading skills (introduced as appropriate): Retrieve, Infer, Question, Predict, Summarise, Visualise & Clarify. Teachers will use texts from a range of sources, ensuring to expose children to different genres, purposes and structures.  In Year 2, when individuals are ready, the will move on to record written responses in Guided Reading groups, with support from their teacher.

Shared Reading

In KS2, children move from Guided Reading in small groups, to whole-class Shared Reading. This enables children to take part in regular, high quality discussions about a variety of different texts. They are also required to form written responses to questions, which are developed to target our Active Reading Skills, as set out above. At the beginning of Year 3, the skills included will be based on the needs of the individuals within the cohort.

Blitz

Weekly Blitz sessions will be put in place when it is felt that a year group needs targeted time to help children progress with a particular skill.  During an assembly session, all teaching staff will work 1:1 or with a small group of children for 15 minutes.

Beanstalk

Beanstalk reading volunteers work with selected children in our school on a one-to-one basis, giving them consistent support to improve their reading ability, increase self-confidence and enjoyment of reading, and help give them the vital skills they need to succeed.

Reading Recovery

Preston Grange offers Reading Recovery, an effective early intervention designed to reduce the number of children with literacy difficulties in school.  It is a second chance, prevention programme delivered, typically, at the end of the first full year in school.  Low achieving children have, in addition to classroom instruction, individual bespoke teaching which brings them to average levels of achievement for their class in a short time.  Children around the age of six are screened on a series of sensitive assessments.  The lowest scoring are offered Reading Recovery, consisting of daily lessons with a qualified teacher who has been further trained in delivering the intervention.  These lessons are implemented over one to two terms.

Reading for Pleasure

We recognise the correlation between reading for pleasure, academic success and mental well-being Below are some of the ways we encourage reading for pleasure:

  • High quality texts are available around school.

  • Teachers read ‘class-readers’ with children on a regular basis.

  • Children take part in assemblies and workshops with visiting authors.

  • Our reading tipi is open at lunchtime and children are able to read with pupils in different year groups.

  • Reading Tokens are distributed around school and our winning Castle takes part in a celebration at the end of the year.

  • Staff recognise ‘book talk’ around school and will join in conversations with pupils and reward such conversations with Reading Tokens.

  • We sign up to Hooks into Books through Seven Stories to expose children to new high quality texts.

  • Pupil voice informs book purchases for school.

  • We welcome visitors from the wider community to read with children.

  • Children attend reading events such as the North Tyneside Reading Festival.

  • The Library Bus visits school on a regular basis.

  • Recommended book lists are shared with children and parents.

  • Library staff lead assemblies, encourage membership and introduce reading challenges.