Reading
Intent
Teaching of reading, both the technical aspects of decoding language and developing the ability to understand complicated texts is one of the most important aspects of school life here at HNPS as reading broadens our understanding of the world through being able to read about different ideas, ways of life and beliefs. Reading means that we add to our store of knowledge but also engage in conversations about the purpose and meaning of life. It is vital that every child learns to be a competent, confident reader if they are to access the wider curriculum and ultimately achieve well in later life. Hence at HNPS we want our children to leave school with a love of reading.
At HNPS, we want to empower our children, through reading, to become confident communicators and to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Our curriculum ensures ‘academic excellence and intellectual curiosity’ for all at HNPS. This challenging curriculum is accessible to the diverse socioeconomic, cultural and neurodiverse backgrounds at HNPS and that will maximise the development of every child’s ability and achievement in the area of Reading. Frequent exposure to and exploration of high-quality children’s literature is a vital part of this development. Reading is also an important tool for enabling children to acquire knowledge and build on what they already know. Reading underpins accessibility to all other learning.
Through our Reading Curriculum, we aim to promote high standards of literacy and language by equipping children with a strong command of the English language, thus empowering them to access and enjoy the full curriculum offer.
Reading is a habit which needs to be grounded in all that we do at school in order to build secure relationships with reading that last a lifetime.
By the time children leave Key stage 2 they will be able to:
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Ask questions to improve their understanding. Summarise the main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph, identify key details to support the main ideas. Retrieve, record and present information from non- fiction
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Age appropriate texts:
- Read for themselves an increasingly wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books or textbooks
- Read books that are structured in different ways and read for a range of purposes a wide range of books, including myths, legends and traditional stories, modern fiction, fiction from our literary heritage, and books from other cultures and traditions
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Check that the book makes sense to them, discuss their understanding and explore the meaning of words in context. Ask questions to improve their understanding drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence. Predict what might happen from details stated and implied. Distinguish between statements of fact and opinion Provide reasoned justifications for their views
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Reading books that are structured in different ways and reading for a range of purposes. Identify and discuss conventions in and across a wide range of writing. Identify how structure and presentation contribute to meaning.
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Apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes (morphology and etymology), to understand the meaning of new words that they meet. Identify how language contributes to meaning. Ask questions to improve their understanding. Discuss and evaluate how authors use language, include figurative language, consider the impact on the reader. Check that the book makes sense to them, discuss their understanding and explore the meaning of words in context.
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Make comparisons within and across books. Read books that are structured in different ways and read for a range of purposes. Identify and discuss themes and conventions in and across a wide range of writing (text types). Non statutory - Pupils should be shown how to compare characters, settings, themes and other aspects of what they read.
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Learn a wider range of poetry by heart. Prepare poems and plays to read aloud and to perform, show understanding through intonation, tone and volume so that the meaning is clear to an audience. Ask questions to improve their understanding Recommend books that they have read to their peers, give reasons for their choices .
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Participate in discussions about books, building on their own and others’ ideas and challenge views courteously. Explain and discuss their understanding of what they have read, including through formal presentations and debates.
Implementation
All staff create a love of reading and a culture of reading for pleasure within their classrooms alongside teaching the necessary skills for the two dimensions of study: Word reading and language comprehension. These skills are taught explicitly so children can apply them across their curriculum. Our reading curriculum has been mapped in detail to ensure the consistency of content and teaching approaches; as well as setting clear expectations for each year group. Our whole school approach to teaching and learning of reading involves the following:
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Clear leadership of reading which provides all staff with high quality CPD opportunities through workshops, clear planning guidance, in-class modelling and team teaching. Monitoring of planning, teaching and outcomes ensures the consistency of approach and correct pitch for each group.
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Clear documentation is given to all staff which outlines the progression of skills and outcomes in reading to ensure the consistency of teaching across all phases from early reading in EYFS through to Upper Key Stage 2. This ensures staff understand and are confident with how the progression of reading skills works as a continuation of development.
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A culture of reading for pleasure will be fostered through regular opportunities for all children to independently choose and read from a wide range of high- quality books and other texts for their own enjoyment. Teachers model a positive attitude towards reading at all times and make certain that our classrooms promote pleasure for reading and support those learners who find it difficult to access texts.
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To intensify positive attitude towards reading we have:
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Teachers as readers
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Read aloud as part of our provision
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Cross-curricular reading
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Independent/Buddy reading opportunities
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Risch reading resources
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A focus on vocabulary knowledge
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Parents involvement as readers
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Teaching focuses on developing pupils' competence in both words reading and language comprehension with an understanding that different kinds of teaching is needed for each.
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High quality phonics teaching (Read Write Inc programme) is used across the school, particularly in EYFS and KS1 to ensure the underpinning notion that the letters on the page represent the sounds in spoken words. High quality phonic work is our prime approach to teaching early reading; we have developed a highly skilled team of practitioners that ensure all children meet their full potential for phonic knowledge and early reading skills. This approach is leading to well above national outcomes in phonics. We ensure that phonic work is a continued part of our approach throughout the key stages, particularly for those who need further consolidation of their phonetic knowledge.
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Throughout the school teachers are implementing the evidence informed practice of I do, We do, You do to ensure all children are accessing learning. This is a model of teaching which is also known as the ‘gradual release of responsibility’ model. It enables our pupils to learn new knowledge through precise teaching, and gives them a chance to practise, with support, before embarking on independent application.
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Comprehension skills develop through pupils’ experience of high-quality discussion with the teacher, as well as from reading and discussing a range of stories, poems and non-fiction. All pupils are encouraged to read widely across both fiction, poetry and nonfiction to develop their knowledge of themselves and the world in which they live, to establish an appreciation and love of reading, and to gain knowledge across the curriculum.
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The teaching of speaking and listening helps to support the comprehension skills required to be a fluent reader. Dialogic talk is used and facilitated by staff to deepen children’s understanding and comprehension of what they are reading.
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Regular events such as Roald Dahl Day, World Book Week, Sponsored Read, Scholastic Book Fair and the Summer Reading Challenge will be used to build on children’s positive attitudes towards reading.
Components of the teaching of reading:
Timetabled Phonics Teaching: Regular planned sessions in line with our curriculum in EYFS and KS1. Further targeted teaching takes place for pupils who need support in KS2.
Storytime: It takes place daily with a focus on read-aloud programme and is well planned and mapped out via HNPS reading Spine.
Shared Reading: Takes place everyday across the week with 3 phases: Introduction to the text, Investigation of the text and Independent understanding. During lessons, teachers model reading fluently with pupils a range of texts focusing on comprehension and specific features in relation to objectives. Both the teacher-supported read/discussion and independent activities are based around one or more of the reading skills.
English lessons: English planning is based around high-quality core texts that usually link to the specific curriculum theme of that year group and cycle. A week of immersive reading and responding activities constitutes the first teaching phase of all English topics.
Independent reading: Teachers make ample opportunity for children to free-read without overly monitoring and directing their reading. This allows children free exploration and agency of their reading; helping them to develop positive and self-motivated attitudes towards reading.
Book borrowing: All children have access to the school library where they can browse and borrow from a wide range of literature, largely informed by pupil voice. Children visit once a week as part of their reading lessons. Class teachers also have class book corners, designed by the children, which provide additional opportunities for independent book browsing and borrowing.
Daily teaching of vocabulary: This occurs in English lessons and in other subjects. Knowledge of word is broadened and deepened through constant encounters which allow pupils to get a ‘feel’ for how a word is used and what it means. Vocabulary is given daily attention and is taught in context.
Recommendation sessions (Book Talk): Once a week recommendation sessions by pupils enable children to develop further their and others love of reading.
Parents as readers: On week 2 of every half term Reading breakfast takes place where parents are encouraged to sit and read with their children.
Impact
The successful approach at HNPS results in a flourishing culture of reading for pleasure across the school, alongside the high quality teaching of reading which provides children with the integral life skill of literacy. Exposure to a wide range of high quality children’s literature will ensure that children also develop culturally, intellectually, emotionally and socially. This combination of passion, skill and knowledge will result in life-long positive relationships with reading for all of our children. Every child will read confidently and fluently and will be equipped for all the potential reading they will be exposed to throughout their secondary education and future lives.