Reading

Reading is a vital life skill and the development of reading strategies will enable our children to read and write confidently throughout their school career and on into adult life. Evidence suggests, that children who read for enjoyment every day develop a broader vocabulary, increased general knowledge and a better understanding of other cultures.

At St Mary's we passionately encourage our children to read everyday and aim to nurture a love of reading through carefully selected texts and exciting events, which inspire and motivate pupils to become life-long readers.

We follow Collin Big Cat Scheme for Reading. 

 

Encouraging Reading

We want all children at St Mary's to develop a love of reading to become life long readers.

​We foster children's love of reading by:

  • Listening to the class teacher read with fluency each day
  • Opening the new School Library
  • Building in time in the day for children to read to themselves and to others
  • Hosting READy Brek every Wednesday so families can read together
  • Children taking home a book appropriate to their reading level each day
  • Children borrowing high quality texts from their classroom library
  • Having a Book Swap Shop to allow children to swap their personal books
  • Visiting the local library
  • Key Stage One children watching the dramatisation of a book at the Crucible Theatre
  • Celebrating World Book Day
  • Inviting authors in to talk to classes
  • Having a range of genres to read in class

 

Intent

In English & supported throughout all subjects, we aim to empower & enrich our children’s vocabulary & so prepare them for the next stage in their educational journey (& beyond) so that no child is hindered or held back by a deficit of language as a result of deprivation. We want them to be able to articulate themselves & their learning through a wide bank of subject specific terminology as well as being creative & innovative in their speech & writing. We aim to inspire our children to become fluent, confident life-long readers who can discuss the joy of literature as well as develop their own style & expression through wide opportunities for writing. 

 

Implementation

What is the breadth of experience provided for our children?

  • Whole class book study using a variety of teaching styles and varied stimulus
  • Quality Resources: books, texts, online resources & programmes
  • Visits: library, theatre, reading and writing workshops
  • Visitors: authors
  • Daily, ability matched, Phonics Sessions (daily in FS, KS1 and new arrivals to the country in KS2)
  • Daily, 10 minutes decodable book reading, in KS1
  • Books matching pupil's reading ability sent home regularly and reading recorded in a reading journal
  • World Book Day
  • READy Brek
  • Book Swap Shop
  • 1 to 1 reading weekly (KS1)
  • Targeted children read daily to an adult
  • Buddy Reading System
  • Sponsored speed read events 
  • Links to other curriculum areas

 

What resources are used to support the teaching & learning of this subject?

  • High quality texts chosen from St Mary's Reading Spine
  • Online resources & programmes
  • Published schemes - Collins Big Cat, Letters and Sounds, Dandelion Readers
  • Phonics resources
  • Comprehension activities
  • Grammar activities
  • Self & peer assessment materials
  • Termly tests
  • PM Bench marking
  • Half termly phonics assessments

 

Progression of Skills

Reading Progression

 

How to Support at Home
  • Regularly take your child to the local library to allow them to select books that they enjoy reading
  • Read every night at bedtime- all the way until your child gets to secondary school... and beyond
  • Complete their reading record each time they read so the teacher can see what support they are getting at home
  • Encourage your children to read to their siblings
  • Be a good reading role model 
  • Attend the school's reading and phonics sessions so you know how to support your child with the process of decoding words
  • Don't put too much pressure on your child, reading should be enjoyable!
  • Go to READy Brek each week
  • Read and reread traditional tales and nursery rhymes with young children 
  • Discuss what is happening in the text and allow children the opportunity to give their opinions about events in a book

 

Reading Workshops

In October 2021, we held reading workshops for parents to find out about how reading is taught in their child's year group so they can support at home. 

Click below to the view the PowerPoints used in the workshops. 

Key Stage 1 Parent's Workshop

Lower Key Stage 2 Parent's Workshop

Upper Key Stage 2 Parent's Workshop

 

Policy

Click the document below to read our Reading Policy.

Reading Policy