Reading

Our Intent: Every child a READING CHAMPION!

By the time children leave Co-op Academy Grove, they will have read, listened to and been inspired by a selection of the greatest children’s stories ever written. Regardless of ability, gender or background, all children will know, understand and have the confidence to discuss a broad range of high-quality texts and vocabulary to cultivate a love of literature. Ambitious and progressive texts are used from Co-op Academy Grove’s reading spine, as well as a variety of engaging texts from ‘Grammarsaurus’. We have high expectations for all children and expect our children to leave primary school as avid readers. We want them to read for pleasure, having had access to a wide range of text types, genres and authors in order for them to make informed opinions about their favourites. We aspire for our children to read fluently and widely and able to express preferences and opinions about the texts that they read. We aim to expose our children to a wide range of vocabulary so that they able to decipher new words and then use them when speaking both informally and formally. Because we believe reading is so important, we have a Phonics Lead in school to ensure that ALL children catch up with Ruth Miskin’s Read Write Inc synthetic phonics programme.

Implementation: How we teach reading in our school

At Co-op Academy Grove, we believe that exceptional reading comes from solid decoding skills, an opportunity to spend a considerable amount of time developing fluency, learning and practising reading comprehension skills, discussing the highest quality literature.

We follow the National Curriculum (2014) programmes of study for reading and the expectations therein, which we have set out lesson by lesson detailing the skills to be taught to ensure progression

Quality texts are mapped out for each year group on the yearly overview

Non-fiction as well as fiction texts are also mapped out that link to the curriculum, as well as providing opportunities for reading for pleasure.

As well as immersion of texts during English lessons, whole-class guided reading is taught using ‘Grammarsaurus’ texts that focus on the National Curriculum ‘Reading’ expectations .

During timetabled reading sessions, Pupils who require phonics teaching, access small group sessions until they are ready to transition into whole class reading sessions.

Reading Spine 23-24

Reading Sequence-Comprehension Crusher

Phonics

We teach phonics to children with gaps in their learning through the ‘Read, Write, Inc’ Ruth Miskin phonics programme. It is a systematic, fast-paced approach to teaching phonics. This intervention is used to diminish differences in learning quickly. RWI groups are organised into different abilities following half termly assessments. Sessions are focussed on learning missing sounds, applying these in word reading and reading decodable books that match their phonics knowledge to build confidence with fluency and accuracy. Phonics interventions are delivered to children who did not pass the KS1 phonics screen, or who are new to English.

RWI Phonics Progression PDF

Support for parents

Parent guide to Read Write Inc. Phonics - Oxford Owl

Reading at home

Parental support is extremely valued at Co-op Academy Grove and we recognise the impact it has on children’s progress and attainment in reading. Each pupil has a home school reading account on Boomreader, that teachers and parents can use to share information about a child’s reading.

We have a wide variety of levelled books for pupils to take home, as well as ‘books for pleasure’.

Children who access phonics, take home a phonetically decodable book so they can practice fluency and an age-appropriate book to have an opportunity to read for pleasure.

We expect each child to read five times per week at home. We encourage any reading of their school book and/or a pleasure book at home, to be added to their Boomreader log (their digital reading diary).

We expect parents to read with / talk to children about their books and update the diary when the child has read and when the book needs to be changed.

Boomreader is checked by staff through the week and books are changed. This is regularly monitored by the teachers and the English leader.

Where pupils are not engaging with home reading, the teacher liaises with the parent and children are targeted to read at least three times weekly with an adult in school.

We run a weekly competition to find the class with the most books read every week and celebrate this in our celebration assembly.

We deliver Watch Me Learn sessions for Reading so that parents and carers can implement reading strategies at home to support their children.

Parent guide to great reading

Parent guide for Boomreader

Reading for pleasure

At Co-op Academy Grove, we believe that it is important to develop reading for pleasure for every pupil. In addition to the curriculum opportunities for reading, there are also a number of reading for pleasure initiatives throughout the school. These are:

10 minute class story time using the class text or a chosen book by the pupils or class teacher.

Bookflix display with engaging texts and a recommendation poster.

Special reading events, such as World Book Day (including book swaps), and Scholastic Book Fair

Parent volunteers to support with reading and enjoying books

Reading buddies –our older children enjoy books with our younger children