Reading

Encouraging a Love of Reading at St Mary’s
At St Mary’s, we believe that every child should fall in love with reading.

Books open doors—to imagination, to learning, and to life. That’s why we make reading a joyful, daily part of school life, helping children become confident, curious, and life-long readers.

Whether it’s sharing a book with a friend, getting lost in a new story, or reading aloud at home, we support every child to build the skills—and the love—for reading.

How We Make Reading Special
Here are just some of the ways we make reading enjoyable, accessible, and exciting for all our children:

Daily teacher read-alouds – listening to an adult read fluently and expressively is a powerful way to build language and enjoyment.
Our brand new school library – full of carefully chosen, high-quality books across all genres.
Time set aside each day to read independently or with a friend – because reading for pleasure is just as important as reading to learn.
READy Brek every Wednesday morning – a cosy chance for families to come into school and read together over breakfast.
Books sent home daily – matched to your child’s reading level to build confidence and fluency.
Classroom libraries – with a wide variety of exciting texts for children to borrow.
Trips to the local library – building good reading habits beyond school.
Theatre visits, like seeing book dramatisations at The Crucible and Lyceum (KS1 and EYFS), bringing stories to life.
World Book Day celebrations – with dressing up, book activities, and more!
Author visits – real writers come in to talk about their books and inspire young readers.
A wide range of genres – from poetry to adventure, we make sure there's something for every reader.
We host seasonal Book Fairs where children and families can browse and buy a wide range of exciting books.
A Booknic is our special reading picnic where families, staff, and pupils come together to enjoy stories in the sunshine.

What We're Aiming For (Our Intent)
We want every child to:

Build a rich vocabulary so they can express themselves clearly
Be able to talk confidently about books and ideas
Enjoy reading as a source of pleasure, comfort and learning
Become fluent, life-long readers, able to access all areas of the curriculum
Develop a love of storytelling and creativity
We’re especially committed to making sure no child is left behind due to limited access to books or language at home.

How We Bring Reading to Life (Our Implementation)
We don’t just teach reading—we live it! Here’s how we build reading into your child’s day:

Experiences & Opportunities
Whole-class book studies with engaging activities
Access to high-quality books and digital reading tools
Trips to theatres, libraries, and reading or poetry workshops
Daily phonics sessions (Reception, KS1, and new-to-English KS2 children)
Decodable book reading every day in KS1
Regular 1:1 reading for all KS1, with targeted daily reading for KS1 and KS2 children who need extra support
Reading records to track home reading and celebrate progress
Cross-curricular reading—linking texts to topics in other subjects
Fun events like World Book Day, Sponsored Reads, and Book Fairs
Buddy Reading between older and younger children

Resources We Use

A rich, structured reading programme using high-quality books
Read Write Inc. – our phonics programme for early reading success
Online learning platforms and comprehension tools
Grammar and reading comprehension activities
Regular phonics assessments to track progress
Boom Reader online reading record

How You Can Help at Home
Your support at home makes all the difference. Here are some simple, meaningful ways to support your child’s reading journey:

Visit the library regularly and let your child choose books they’re excited about
Read together at bedtime—even as your child gets older!
Fill in your child’s reading record—teachers love to see what they’re reading at home
Encourage your child to read to siblings or even pets!
Let them see you reading—you are their best role model
Join us at phonics and reading sessions to learn how we teach reading
Don’t stress—reading should be fun, not a chore
Pop into READy Brek on Wednesdays—it’s relaxed, welcoming and a great way to share books together
Read favourite stories more than once—repetition builds fluency
Talk about books—ask questions, share opinions, and listen to theirs
Reading with your child is one of the most powerful gifts you can give.

What Should My Child Be Reading?
We’ve created Recommended Reads for Pleasure (RfP) lists by age to help guide your choices:

What to Read

Ages 3–5
Ages 5–7
Ages 7–9
Ages 9–11
How to help your child choose and enjoy books
Reading & Oracy – Building Speaking Through Stories

Reading Workshops for Parents
We regularly run Reading Workshops to help you support your child at home. You’ll learn how we teach reading in school—and how to build on it at home in easy, enjoyable ways.

Click below to view the workshop slides:

Lower Key Stage 2 Parent Workshop
Upper Key Stage 2 Parent Workshop

Read Write Inc. (RWI): Building Strong Foundations in Reading
At St Mary’s, we use the Read Write Inc. (RWI) phonics programme to give our youngest learners the best possible start in reading. It's a tried-and-tested approach that helps children read confidently, spell accurately, and develop a love for books from the very beginning.

What is Read Write Inc.?
RWI is a systematic phonics programme designed to teach children how to:

Recognise and read sounds (phonemes)
Blend sounds to read whole words
Spell words using their sound knowledge
Read with fluency and expression

How We Use It in School:

Daily RWI sessions for children in Reception, Key Stage 1, and for new-to-English pupils in Key Stage 2
Small, ability-based groups so every child gets the right level of challenge and support
Children read fully decodable books that match the sounds they've been taught
Daily paired reading to build confidence, fluency, and understanding
Regular assessments to track progress and move children on when they’re ready

How You Can Help at Home:

Listen to your child read their RWI book every day
Practise the sounds they’ve learned—your child will bring these home
Watch RWI videos on our website to see how sounds are taught
Most importantly—encourage and praise them! Early reading can be tricky, but your support makes a big difference

"Read Write Inc. helps children unlock the magic of reading—step by step, sound by sound."

Find out more about RWI and how to support at home

Find out more about Fred Games

Find out more about Storybooks