How We Teach Reading
“Reading is fundamental to education. Proficiency in reading, writing and spoken language is vital for pupils’ success. Through these, they develop communication skills for education and for working with others: in school, in training and at work. Pupils who find it difficult to learn to read are likely to struggle across the curriculum, since English is both a subject in its own right and the medium for teaching.”
The Reading Framework, July 2023
Reading is the KEY TO UNLOCK LEARNING and, as such, a fundamental life skill. We place a huge amount of importance on the development of good phonological knowledge and the acquisition and strengthening of reading skills. The drive to improve reading skills at Victoria School is the responsibility of all staff.
Staff work cross phase in collaboration from Early Years, KS1 and KS2 to ensure that there is effective consistency and progression in the teaching of reading.
Reading is a priority therefore we have invested heavily in providing high quality reading resources throughout the school to ensure that all our readers are inspired by the quality reading books, secure literacy programs, and online access to Accelerated reader to monitor the range of text types pupils are accessing with regular/daily quizzes to stretch and challenge pupils understanding and comprehension.
Intent (what we aim to achieve):
A Powerful learner at Victoria uses and develops the essential components of reading to read words with increased fluency. They develop good understanding of the texts they read and take an active approach to reading. They are able to visualise, ask questions, repair any break down of meaning and use different strategies to infer.
We encourage pupils to read widely across both fiction and non-fiction to develop:
- a thriving reading culture so that all children at Victoria School learn to read, regardless of their background or ability;
- knowledge of themselves and the world in which they live;
- an appreciation and love of reading;
- knowledge across the curriculum;
- an understand of rich vocabulary;
- fluency and comprehension skills.
We are committed to providing quality, vocabulary-rich texts, which immerses and enhances all pupils wider knowledge of the spoken and written word, through modern and classic literature and non-fiction texts.
Implementation (how we aim to deliver the learning).
At Victoria we teach reading through the delivery of the five components of reading.
Phonics and Phonemic awareness,
Fluency
Vocabulary
Spelling
Comprehension
At Victoria School, we have a systematic approach to reading, which endeavours to ensure that all children make sufficient, or above, progress across their time with us. We follow the National Curriculum programme of study and we have referred to the Reading Framework (2023) to help to strengthen the delivery of our reading curriculum. We always strive to challenge children to achieve the best they possibly can be.
Programmes Victoria School have adopted
In EYFS we follow the EYFS statutory framework for Literacy and the National Curriculum for Reading in Key Stage 1 and 2. We teach these frameworks using Read, Write, Inc Phonics and Read, Write Inc, Literacy and Language.
We have a number of resources that support the teaching of reading including Reading Plus and Accelerated Reader, more detail can be found on this below.
Nursery
Phonics
In Rainbow Nursery and 3 year old Nursery, there is a heavy focus on phase 1 phonics. Children will learn environmental sounds, take part in music sessions and sing nursery rhymes and songs. Children in the Nursery are first taught the pictures linked to the sounds using the RWI approach. The children then begin to learn set 1 sounds using the programme through daily lessons involve saying the sound, reading the sound and air writing the sound. Children are grouped so they access the programme at the appropriate level.
Exposure to texts
To expose the children to different texts, we have the Pie Corbertt Spine Collection, high quality texts linked to our half termly focus and No Outsiders in Our School stories. Story time is the up most important part of the nursery day. Staff read stories to the children at any given opportunity. Children in Nursery take home pleasure for reading books, a green speed sound book, and a RWI ‘My Reading and Writing Kit’. Children in the Rainbow Nursery take home a pleasure for reading story sack. Children can also access Oxford Reading Buddies, at home, online.
Reception
Phonics
In Reception, we make a strong start with phonics learning. The children begin to learn set 1 sounds using the RWI programme. Daily lessons involve saying the sound, reading the sound and writing the sound. The children are then assessed and grouped at their challenge point to further progress them in their phonics learning. As the children progress throughout the year, they will be introduced to set 2 sounds, then they will move through the coloured books. Word time enables the children to learn how to segment and blend words so they can read simple sentences. We aim to have the children reading the green books by the end of reception.
Children who are not making the expected progress will receive fast track 1:1 tutoring.
Exposure to texts
To expose the children to different texts, we have the Pie Corbertt Spine Collection, high quality texts linked to our half termly focus and No Outsiders in Our School stories. Children take home pleasure for reading books and a book linked to their phonetic ability.
KS1 (years 1 and 2)
Phonics
Children will be assessed at their challenge point for their phonetic ability and placed in a RWI group. Children receive an hours phonics lesson a day, which includes saying the sound, reading the sound, writing the sound, word time, spelling, and reading the story book with activities. We aim for children in year 1 to be on blue books by the end of the year, and children in year 2 to have completed the RWI programme and access Literacy and Language by spring term.
Children who are not making the expected progress will receive fast track 1:1 tutoring.
Children complete a STAR reading test each half term to test their reading ability. This gives them a ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development) score. Children then read stories linked to their ZPD and complete quizzes to test their comprehension.
Exposure to texts
To expose the children to different texts, we have the Pie Corbertt Spine Collection, high quality texts linked to our half termly focus and No Outsiders in Our School stories. Children take home pleasure for reading books, a book linked to their phonetic ability and a ZPD book (if they pass a STAR reading test).
KS1 use the Learning Challenge Curriculum. We use high quality texts linked to our key question to deepen children’s learning. We ensure every child has quality story time every day.
KS2 (years 3-6)
Phonics
Pupils are assessed and grouped by their ability depending on their RWI exit data from the previous year. Year 3 and 4 pupils will follow the RWI scheme with fidelity until they reach Literacy and Language and therefore no longer need the phonics programme. Literacy and Language is introduced in Year 3.
Phonics lessons each consists of a speed sound lesson and book work.
In a speed sounds lesson, pupils will:
- Be introduced to a new sound.
- Learn how to say it and select it from a selection of previously taught sounds.
- Find it in a word and use “Fred Talk” to segment and blend new words.
- Review words that include previously taught sounds.
- Read the new words with greater fluency.
- Spell the words that they have learnt in that lesson as well as words from previously taught sounds.
Book work includes:
- Speedy reading of sounds from the storybook.
- Reading green and red (tricky) words that appear in the story.
- Reading the story.
- Thinking about the story and sharing ideas with a partner.
- Answering questions about the story.
- Writing activities based on the story.
Pupils doing RWI will be assessed at the end of each half term and will be regrouped if required. Those needing additional phonics intervention will receive Fast Track tutoring to help them to close the gaps in their learning.
Pupil’s daily speed sound lesson videos from the Ruth Miskin website will be added to their portfolio for additional practice both in school and at home. Gaps in pupil’s phonic knowledge will also be posted in their portfolio as a speed sounds lesson video from the Ruth Miskin website.
Pupils in KS2 who still require phonics will access the Fresh Start programme. They will be assessed at the start of the year and at the end of each half and will be grouped accordingly. Fresh start follows the same routine as above with the phonics programme with there just a subtle change in terminology used by the adults to make it more appealing for older children, i.e. “best friends” instead of “special friends.”
Exposure to texts
Through writing approaches ‘I’m a Clever Writer’ and ‘The Write Stuff’, pupils will be exposed to a new text for every unit they study. They will work with this book, completing various reading tasks based on it, some of these are written in books and others are rehearsed orally to enhance our offer of the Oracy curriculum.
Both approaches are designed and adapted to develop children’s comprehension, writing and spoken language. We have aligned our approach with the National Curriculum for reading, writing and SPAG. The approaches use small steps through whole class shared reading to give children the skills to comprehend age appropriate texts.
There are opportunity for pupils to read independently in our reading lessons but often whole class reading and paired reading is used to ignite discussion and curiosity around the texts they read. Teacher plan reading discussions, drama and Oracy activities to promote and enhance spoken word. Strengthening the strong link between reading and writing.
We explicitly teach vocabulary across the curriculum but specifically, our reading and writing curriculum ensures that we sequentially teach language structures and vocabulary knowledge. The texts pupils study are vocabulary rich, age appropriate and provide the challenge that our pupils need.
Fluency and Reading Plus
When pupils are able to decode, we focus on fluency. When readers are listened to in class teachers speak to pupils about pace, intonation and the meaning of words. We aim for our readers to be as fluent as possible, as soon as possible, allowing children to focus on the meaning of what is read, so that they can comprehend what they are reading.
We have recently implemented a resource called ‘Reading Plus’. Pupils have their own logins to a personalised learning platform where they work on the following:
- Reading Skills
- Comprehension Skills
- Visual Skills
We recognise that pupils need to develop all of these skills in order to become a skilled reader. The program is used by all pupils, it includes an adaptive assessment, personalised instruction and practice and a library full of age-appropriate texts.
Oxford Reading Tree
Pupils who’s reading age is below their chronological age will use Oxford Reading Tree books to give them a boost in their confidence in reading. They have access to a wide range of physical books which they can select from in school and they also have access to the “Reading Buddys” online eBook library. Reading Buddys helps children navigate their way through the texts by having the option to have the book read to them. The programme sets comprehension questions for each text to improve retrieval and inference.
Pupils who’s reading age matches or exceeds their chronological age will read books that are within their ZPD range as set by half termly Accelerated Reader STAR assessments. Children once again have access to a wide range of fiction and non-fictions texts in our school library.
VIPERS
Comprehension skills are regularly taught through the RWI Literacy and Language programme, teachers also refer to VIPERS skills when reading texts to help focus pupils on the specific skills they need to answer questions:
V – Vocabulary
I – Inference
P – Prediction
E – Explanation
R – Retrieval
S – Summary
S – Sequence
Pupils use VIPERS weekly to focus on skills and practice comprehension.
No Outsiders in Our School
Through “No outsiders in our school, teaching the Equality Act in Primary Schools.” Pupils will be taught about equality and inclusion with through 5 different texts. Each class has their own set of books, appropriate to each year group, supporting pupils with the issues that they may face in primary school. This set of PSHE based texts adds to the wide range of books that we offer to our pupils.
Library and Book Corners
Each classroom has a reading area with a range of books made up of school owned books and books which the children have selected when they have received a visit from the library van. There are lots of opportunities for pupils to access these books throughout the day. We have two libraries full of amazing books and pupils enjoy spending time choosing and reading books in these areas.
We believe that all pupils deserve a rich curriculum which encourages extensive reading of whole books and a rich diet of various text types including fiction, non-fiction and poetry. We believe that active encouragement of reading for pleasure is a core part of every pupil’s educational entitlement, whatever their background or attainment. We believe that all staff should be ‘reading role models’ for pupils, encouraging them to read widely through recommendations from their own reading.
Reading Hero
Each week a ‘Reading Hero’ from each class is chosen by teachers, pupils with this award are allowed to select a book that they can read and keep. Pupils that show their commitment to reading, pass accelerated reader quizzes or are spotted reading regularly are candidates for the weekly award, this criteria is shared with pupils.
Target Readers and Intervention
We know that all of our pupils are target readers. Each half term the reading age of pupils is assessed, and from that teachers choose a set of children who they feel would benefit from extra targeted sessions. It could be that pupils need to practice reading aloud or that they need to have an adult guiding their reading or discussing texts. Target readers are listened to daily.
Pupils identified as requiring additional support to develop reading skills are offered intervention programs that best suits their needs. Precision Reading is a short, daily reading activity that quickly improves reading abilities in comprehension, word recognition and reading automaticity.
Core Books – Reading Spine and Poetry Spine
These are a set of fiction and poetry books that have been selected for each year group to read throughout the year. Our Reading Spine is a core of books that create a living library inside a child’s mind. It is a store of classics and essential reads that help children engage at a deeper level and enter the world of the story. Vision and Aims of the Reading Spine:
- To bring reading to life with a classic read aloud programme.
• Children will have the opportunity to spend time with their teachers at the end of the day listening to them model reading as expert storytellers.
• Foster a love of reading with the best-loved books for Year 3 to Year 6
• Deepen comprehension through VIPERS and teach drama and writing by drawing on the core books.
Reading Records and Journals
Every child uses a reading record that is brought to school and sent home each night. It is an essential link between pupils, parents and teachers. We encourage parents to ask questions and pupils to comment on what they are enjoying in texts. These records provide evidence for assessments and help parents and teachers to identify who needs the most support.
We have recently introduced Reading Journals to our Year 6 pupils who would like to comment further on the books they are reading, commenting on plot, vocabulary and what they are enjoying most about texts. We want both reading records and journals to be owned by pupils as a record of their successes and enjoyment in reading.
Impact (how we will know we've been successful):
Through detailed analysing of regular assessment data, phonics tracker, STAR reading, checking text types and frequency of engagement through accelerated reader, hearing children read and discussing their understanding with them we maintain a close monitoring of reading achievement and progress of each pupil.
The Reading curriculum is evaluated through:
-Analysis of phonics assessments (RWI Phonics and Fresh Start)
-Analysis of whole-class reading lessons
-Analysis of half termly reading assessments and reading ages
The impact of Reading success in our school is measured through the following:
- Pupils will be able to decode and recognise enough sight words at the end of their Key Stage 1 programme of study to be able to confidently and fluently read a text at their level
- Pupils of all abilities will be able to succeed in all reading lessons
- Pupils will enjoy reading across a range of genres
- Once children have progressed through our chosen SSP programme, pupils will use a range of strategies for decoding words, not solely relying on phonics
- Pupils will have a good knowledge of a range of authors
- Pupils will be ready to read in any subject in their forthcoming secondary education
- Parents and carers will have a good understanding of how they can support reading at home, and contribute regularly to home-school records
- The % of pupils working at ARE within each year group will be at least in line with national averages.
- The % of pupils working at Greater Depth within each year group will be at least in line with national averages
- There will be no significant gaps in the progress of different groups of pupils (e.g. disadvantaged vs non disadvantaged)
