At Worsthorne, we aim to develop a love of reading, so children are encouraged to read for pleasure at home and school. Teachers read a variety of high-quality texts to the children on a regular basis. We currently use a range of different reading schemes to meet the interests and individual need of each and every child. The reading schemes we use for home reading are Rising stars and bug club. We also use Collins big cat schemes for Guided Reading throughout the school.
Teaching a child to read is vital. We use a range of strategies, in addition to phonics, such as a variety of decoding methods, teaching high frequency words through sight recognition, discussion through picture books and quality class texts. Reading Volunteers enhance our reading provision every week hearing our children read.
Throughout all classes, reading is taught through a carousel of activities. These activities include reading with a teacher or teaching assistant and written activities. Children have focussed guided reading sessions each week and are expected to complete one written activity in that time.
One to one reading occurs in Reception and vulnerable readers are identified in each class to ensure reading progression and a love of reading. During the reading sessions, there is an emphasis on vocabulary, the retrieval of facts and inference. Novels are used to teach reading as well as a range of non-fiction texts. These texts are carefully chosen to ensure that there is progression and challenge across the school.
Phonics for reading
Children’s reading journey begins with their phonic teaching and learning.
Phase 1 phonics is embedded throughout the EYFS daily teaching and learning – enabling children to access the skills for early reading.
Children are taught phonics using RED ROSE.
The classroom teaching, environment, and activities are all carefully planned, to allow for the Key Learning objectives to be delivered.
See below:
Home Reading:
EYFS & YR1 – Linked closely and appropriately to children’s phonics learning in EYFS and Year 1 (Year 2 where applicable) – children bring home a book that contains the newly taught sounds each week. Children bring home a second book – a consolidation book. This book is a book from previous phonics teaching, and one that a child should be able to access themselves to practice and consolidate reading skills.
YR2 – Children will bring home a home reader, within the level band that the teachers have assessed the child to be working within.
KS2- We have invested in new books for each year group across KS2 (Year 3,4,5 and 6).
The new books are aimed at providing:
- a variety of genres, fiction and non – fiction
- a text of appropriate length for your child to read at home
- knowledge, vocabulary and context appropriate for your child.
Children in KS2 will bring home a BIG CAT reader, at an appropriate level. This book is for 1:1 reading with an adult at home and in school. Children will also bring home a free choice reader from one of our school libraries. This will help to promote a love of reading.
Promoting Reading:
We want children to be motivated and acknowledged for their regular reading efforts.
Each time that your child reads at home, they will receive a ‘reading raffle ticket’ (only one available each day).
This ticket will be put into our reading raffle box for each class.
In achievement assembly, a name from each class will be drawn as the Reading Champ that week. That week, these children will get a ‘popcorn story session’ with an adult in school.
Part of the raffle slip is to be kept by your child. They can collect these tickets to accumulate.
They can then trade in their tickets to claim prizes! It is your child’s choice when to ‘claim’… will they prefer to receive smaller prizes regularly, or will they bank the tickets and save for the big prizes?!
There will be a prize display in our reading zone, for children to see and set their goals on a prize…
Prizes available at: 10 tickets -25 tickets – 50 tickets – 80 tickets – 100 tickets
