Reading

Reading at Shanklea

At Shanklea we strive to develop a love of reading from the start by placing reading  at the heart of the curriculum. 


In EYFS pupils will be taught daily to decode through the RWI scheme. Through their “5 a day”, children are exposed to a range of books, poems and rhymes that not only develop a love of reading but have been specifically chosen to develop their oracy, vocabulary and comprehension. These five a day are embedded in the provision through activities, story session, carpet time and group work, allowing the children to internalise new vocabulary, language patterns and begin to retell stories. 


In KS1 there continues to be a strong emphasis on the teaching of phonics through the Read Write Inc programme taught in smaller focussed ability groups daily. Pupils are tracked to ensure all pupils continue to make progress. Where pupils have not met the expected standard in phonics in Year 1, they will receive additional support to ensure they meet the standard before they leave the key stage. Reading forms a central part of each RWI lesson in KS1 meaning all pupils read with an adult every day. Books are matched to pupils’ phonic knowledge in order for them to apply their learning and practise their reading in school and at home.  Pupils are also given books to share with their families to develop further a love of reading. 


In addition to their RWI sessions, regular storytime and English sessions enable the pupils to experience and become familiar with a wide variety of stories, rhymes, poems and authors, building upon those they studied in EYFS.  These texts are creatively introduced and studied in ways to engage the pupils. When reading individually or in groups with their class teachers focus on fluency of reading to aid early comprehension.  


In KS2 Pupils will be taught to read fluently, (both fiction and non-fiction) and are actively encouraged to read for pleasure. The Accelerated Reader programme is used to assess pupils and ensure that they are reading books that match their understanding and reading ability, allowing the children to practise their reading skills in school and  at home. Pupils are encouraged to develop preferences about their reading through allowing pupils to make choices about what they read within their range.  Children are set personalised targets for which they can earn motivational rewards. For pupils, who did not reach the expected standard for phonics in Year 2, regular interventions will be undertaken to narrow the gap. Where phonic assessments are met, but a child is still working below the level expected for their age, a York Reading test will be undertaken to test fluency, accuracy and comprehension to allow appropriate interventions to be put in place. For all year groups children who are not reading at age related expectations, reading with an adult will take place at least 4 times a week in school. Teachers will continue to develop the pupils' love of reading through regular storytime sessions focussing on quality literature. Interventions when used will demonstrate fidelity to the RWI programme and will include RWI Fast Track Tutoring and RWI Fresh Start.  


Schemes used to support reading at Shanklea Primary:

  • Accelerated Reader throughout KS2

Accelerated Reader - UK, Ireland and International (renlearn.co.uk)

  • RWInc- whole school

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