Holy Family is a reading school.
Our Reading Aim Every child leaves our school not only being able to read to a high standard but to have a love of reading.
Reading For Pleasure
Throughout our school we create a reading environment. Each classroom has an attractive and engaging reading area.
Reading in the Early Years
In Foundation Stage, children are introduced to stories through story time and Literacy sessions. We look at books, illustrations and text. We look at new vocabulary, characters and story structure.
Through sharing books with our youngest children, we are sharing our love for reading. We encourage children to join with repeated refrains or rhymes. The children learn to retell stories using story maps and Makaton signing to help develop their vocabulary and engage them in their learning.
Sharing Books at Home
In Nursery each week, every child selects a book which they would like to bring home to share with their parents. We will be starting a new Story Bag Project in the Autumn Term to involve parents in developing a love of reading.
In Reception, each child brings home phonetically decodable words and a book to share. Once children are able to recognise words from the books read in guided reading, these are sent home to read with parents.
Phonics
In the Foundation stage, Phonics is taught using the Letters and Sounds guidance (see link below). In Nursery, the children’s phonics journey begins with Phase 1. This involves listening to and playing with sounds. As they move through the Foundation Stage, children learn to read words through systematic synthetic phonics. They learn to decode by segmenting and blending words. They also learn to read words which cannot be broken down through Makaton signing.
Guided Reading
In Reception, children take part in small group guided reading. During guided reading, each group reads with the class teacher. To begin with, they share books, talk about the illustrations and story structure. Once children start to able to recognise sounds and understand the difference between print and picture, they start to use sign and shine (Makaton) for guided reading. This involves reading words, sentences and eventually books using Makaton signing to help the children remember these tricky words.
Reading in Key Stage 1
Children experience quality books in English lessons, Guided Reading and Story Time. Books in English lessons are selected to support learning across the curriculum and children look at the text features, sentence structure and vocabulary used.
Sharing Books at Home
In Key Stage 1, twice a week, each child brings home a reading book to read and discuss with parents.
Phonics
Children’s phonics development is continued through Key Stage 1. Teachers follow Letters and Sounds for planning. Lessons are taught using Funky Phonics and Makaton Signing. Children are split into smaller groups and are taught according to their needs. Lessons are fun and engaging and include lots of songs with games played to encourage long term learning of sounds. Children are taught how to segment and blend words for reading.
Guided Reading
Guided Reading sessions take place daily across Key Stage 1. Children are taught according to their needs. During Guided Reading, children carry out a pre-reading activity, a structure guided reading with the class teacher and a post read. Children who are not taking part in one these tasks enjoy a whole class reading comprehension twice a week.
Interventions
Any child who is struggling to read in Key Stage 1 will have access to reading interventions. There are two main reading interventions:
Fisher Family Trust: children read three times a week with an adult one to one. The adults are trained in the Fisher Family Trust Reading Programme. The aim of the programme is to improve children’s fluency and understanding.
Sign and Shine: children recognise key words through the use of Makaton signing. This intervention is used for children who are struggling to learn to read through phonics alone. Rather than learning to segment and blend children learn to read words as a whole. This intervention takes place three times a week.
Reading in Key Stage 2
In Key Stage Two, reading is taught through studying whole class quality texts in Literacy. These texts are linked to the curriculum topics being taught. During lessons, children have the opportunity to study the features, sentence structure and vocabulary used. They learn how to deconstruct texts and use them to support their writing.
Sharing books at home
In Key Stage 2, twice a week, each child brings home a reading book to read and discuss with parents. If a child is on longer, library books they are expected to return their reading records to school to be checked but not necessarily changed.
Phonics
Children in Key Stage 2 who are still struggling with phonics have access to phonic sessions with trained teaching assistants. This is taught as an intervention.
Guided Reading
Guided Reading is taught daily in Key Stage 2 through a structured, layered approach across the week. Guided Reading follows the weekly structure of:
Orientation
Vocabulary
Inference and deduction
Mirror and modelling
Fluency.
Interventions
Any child who is struggling to read in Key Stage 2 will have access to reading interventions. There are two main reading interventions:
Better Reading Programme: children read three times a week with an adult one to one. The adults are trained in the Better Reading Programme. The aim of the programme is to improve children’s fluency and comprehension.
Sign and Shine: children recognise key words through the use of Makaton signing. This intervention is used for children who are struggling to learn to read through phonics alone. Rather than learning to segment and blend children learn to read words as a whole. This intervention takes place three times a week.
Story time
Each class has story time at the end of the day. This is a special time when children are able to just sit and enjoy listening to a story that they have voted for.
Reading Links
Letters and Sounds