St John Fisher RC Primary School

Reading

OUR VISION

What do we want? To teach every child to read and keep them reading.

Why?  To change everything: reading is the gateway to future success.

For children learning to read: Reception, Year 1+

Intent

Children learn to read following the Simple View of Reading: we teach both word-reading and language comprehension.

Word reading

Children learn a simple alphabetic code followed later by a more complex code. All reading books progress cumulatively, matched to the sounds children know.

Language comprehension

We help children to enjoy stories and poems from the minute they come into school. We know and love the books we read aloud, so children will want to hear the same story again and again. We use similar emphases and intonation on each reading, so children can join in the retelling.

Our picture books are for all children, whether they can read or not:

• For those who are still learning to read, we help them retell the story.
• For children who are able to read, we encourage them to re-read the story. 

Implementation

Word Reading

• We organise Read Write Inc. books and resources in a central area.
• Every reading-teacher keeps a box of RWI black & white/ colour books that children have already read in lessons, for them to take home.

Language Comprehension

      1 We decide the books that are enjoyable to read. We select:

• stories that elicit a response: curiosity, anger, excitement, enjoyment, amusement
• non-fiction either connected with something we’re teaching or something children might already be interested in. 

2. We discuss our favourite children’s books as a team and make sure we have read the book ourselves before reading it to the children. We share our excitement for children’s books.  
3. We set up a reading area in each classroom. We:

• start by selecting relevant quality books, gradually adding more week by week, taking out others as the year progresses
• create a half termly ‘window display’ of themed books – by author or theme
• set up a display of ‘our favourite five storybooks’ with book marks to ‘sell’ the book to the child e.g. This book is exciting. This book is funny. This book is sad.
• display books outward-facing on shelves.
• organise familiar books into boxes for children to select and take home.  

4. We read stories to children with love, confidence and enjoyment, every day.

Impact

Word reading

We aim for Read Write Inc. phonics to be completed by the end of Year 1/ early Year 2.

Language comprehension

Teachers

• know the importance of reading stories to their children every day
• know how to engage children in stories when reading aloud.

Parents

• know the importance of reading stories to their children at home
• know how to read stories to their children
• read with their children most evenings.

Children

• enjoy listening to stories and poems
• can join in with many stories and poems
• learn new vocabulary

For readers in Years 2 to 6

Intent

To persuade children who can read, to read widely and often for themselves.

To ensure children have access to the best books available, written by authors for children to read and enjoy. Books that will encourage children to:

• Feel something: curiosity, anger, anxiety, excitement, amusement
• Seek something: pleasure, challenge, fulfilment, comfort, escape.
• Learn something new, either connected with something we’re teaching or something they might already be interested in.  

Implementation

1. We organise books alphabetically in a central storage area

2. We set up a reading area in each classroom. We:

• start the year with a range of books with multiple copies, if possible.
• introduce more books as needed or as topics change
• create a half termly ‘display’ of themed books – by author or theme
• invite children to set up a table top display their favourite books
• display books outward-facing on shelves

3. We discuss our favourite children’s books as a staff team and make sure we have read the book ourselves before reading it to the children. We share our excitement for children’s books.

4. We read aloud books every day with confidence and enjoyment, including fiction and non-fiction. We:

• read our favourite stories and poems to our own and each other’s classes
• invite parents and visitors to talk about their favourite books.

5. We set up weekly book-club group where children are encouraged:

• To share books with younger children to develop a love of reading
• To talk about what they enjoy about a book
• To discuss what they would like to read next

Impact

Teachers

• know the importance of reading stories/ poems/ powerful extracts to their children every day
• know how to engage children in stories when reading aloud.

Parents

• know the importance of their children reading at home
• continue to read stories to their children most evenings

Children

• choose to read most evenings at home
• talk about the books they’ve enjoy reading
• enjoy listening to stories and poems
• know many poems/ rhymes by heart