English – Reading

Quality texts are at the heart of teaching, exploring and enjoying reading at Huncote. Throughout the school, stories, poems and non-fiction texts form the basis of literacy, topic work and whole class reading.

Key Stage 1

Throughout Key stage 1 children begin their reading journey using the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised scheme. In EYFS and Year 1 we use the Little Wandle scheme which is very prescriptive but follows a pattern which works well with the children’s learning. Alongside this the children read books matching their learned sounds in groups three times a week and the teacher checks their fluency and blending/phonics. The children then have this reading book to take home at the end of each week (the book they have been doing in their Little Wandle group) and they are expected to read it several times at home with an adult. The children also have access to a range of free-choice books suited to their phonic ability to take home each week also. The children use a key text in whole class reading work to enhance their understanding and to explore in more depth as well as building the foundations of reading comprehension skills.

As the children progress to Year 2 where the need for specific phonic-based reading is less the children will typically have a spelling lesson each day, and lessons focussed on reading comprehension skills using the VIPERS method and a high-quality class text which they study in whole class reading sessions. High frequency and common exception words are also reinforced.

Key Stage 2

As the children move into Key Stage 2, the focus moves from word-reading to more in depth understanding of what has been read and thinking critically about it. Reading is taught in direct comprehension lessons looking at a specific reading focus using the VIPERS method. Teachers tailor lessons to meet the needs of the class according to question level analysis of the most recent assessment. Reading is also part of creative literacy sessions with focus such as inference and examination of vocabulary and language is combined with written lessons and role play. 

Children read for pleasure daily and display and rotate new books in the class library and recommend texts based on what they feel individual children will like. The displayed texts in the classrooms are often stories and non-fiction to accompany the current topic. A range of books and genres are used (as well as poetry and picture books).

A whole class read of the chosen text is done daily. This helps to further understanding and critique the text whilst allowing the children to still enjoy being read to whilst also gaining a model for expression and fluency.

 Our aim is for children to leave Huncote:

• having a good level of word reading, being able to tackle new words confidently and applying their phonic knowledge to segment and blend
• Read with expression fluently leaving them able to enjoy and explore texts without hindrance
• Understand what they read and be able to summarise the main points
• Have a deeper level of understanding about what they read and start to question, analyse and critique
• Enjoy reading a range of texts and genres by both well-known writers and those who are new or less-known
• See reading as a pleasurable activity and understand the importance of it to their emotional and academic progress