Reading at School

At Southey Green Primary School, reading is at the heart of our curriculum. It is our intent that children will leave us as confident and fluent readers who can read a range of texts, discuss them with confidence and importantly have a love of reading.

The Teaching of Reading

Throughout school the teaching of reading aims to build fluent and confident readers. We focus on ensuring children can read with accuracy and fluency, use high order reading skills which contribute to their comprehension of texts and to develop a love of literature.

Once children are fluent readers, reading lessons focus on one specific skill taught over the week, for example using the class text to make inferences. Children have the opportunity to read the high-quality text, unpick the vocabulary and practice the skill in different ways.

In addition to this, children also have the opportunity to read to an adult in school. Children begin by reading ‘Read Write Inc’ decodable books that match their growing phonics knowledge. Once children are secure on their sounds, they move to banded reading books which are chosen based on the quality of the text and the child’s interests.

Children are also encouraged to regularly read at home and they are provided with an appropriate book for them to enjoy at home. Parent/Carers are asked to log what has been read in the child’s individual reading log. It is important that children reread their books to aid their fluency and understanding.

How can you help?

• Read regularly with your child. It is important they listen to stories be read and have the opportunities to read themselves.
• Ask questions as your child reads; this will help them have a good understanding of the text.
• What are your child’s interest and hobbies? Are there books or magazines linked to this that your child can read?
• Don’t worry if your child reads the same book over and over again!

How else do we promote the love of reading?

Every classroom has an inviting book corner with a range of texts available. Children have access to a wide range of reading materials including fiction and non-fiction texts, poetry, magazines, annuals, comics, play scripts and online resources such as Bug Club. Children may access these during reading sessions or during other parts of the day.  

In school we ae lucky enough to have an inviting and well-equipped library – the Discovery Hub. Classes have timetabled slots to visit the Discovery Hub and this is also open some break and lunchtimes for children to read for pleasure. During these sessions, children can practice their reading skills, read for pleasure and learn valuable library skills. Key Stage 1 children also have access to the reading garden, where children can relax and read for pleasure.

Phonics

What is phonics?

The Government recommend the use of synthetic phonics when teaching early literacy skills. Synthetic phonics is simply the ability to convert a letter or a letter group into sounds that are then blended together into a word.

Here at Southey Green Primary, we use the Read, Write Inc programme to support children with their phonics learning.

What we do?

All children in EYFS and Key Stage 1 take part in daily class phonics sessions which last 25 minutes. Read Write Inc resources are used to support this teaching and it is delivered by familiar, trained adults. Children begin their phonics journey by developing their speaking and listening skills. They are exposed to environmental and instrumental sounds and will begin to recognise rhythm and rhyme. When children are ready, and by Reception at the latest, children will begin to learn the Read, Write Inc sounds. Children work at their own pace, learning the different sounds and then blending these sounds for reading. In addition, children learn ‘red words’ also known as ‘sight words’. These are words that you cannot sound out and children just need to learn. Additional sessions are provided on the weekly timetable to support those children that may need to make accelerated progress in order to meet end of year expectations in phonics. During the school day children have opportunities to read books that contain their recently learnt sounds, as well as opportunities to apply their new sounds into written work.

Children’s phonics knowledge is tracked throughout EYFS and Key Stage 1 to ensure progress in phonics. If your child is not secure with their phonics knowledge when entering Key Stage 2 extra interventions are put in place. This includes, but is not limited to, additional phonics sessions, Rainbow Reading and sight-reading activities.

More information about the Read, Write Inc scheme

At the heart of Read Write Inc. Phonics is the systematic teaching of all the common sounds in the English language (RWI calls these the Speed Sounds). Children are taught to recognise the sounds and to put them together (‘sound blend’ them) into words for reading.

Children are taught one way of representing the 44 main sounds of English first, and then go on to learn the alternative spellings later on.

When teaching the letter sounds, it is important to remember to keep them very ‘pure’ and distinct, to help with sound-blending later on. To enable your child to gain confidence in reading, they should only be asked to read words containing letter sounds they know securely.

Read Write Inc. introduces the simple Speed Sounds (one sound, one grapheme) with Speed Sounds Set 1 and Set 2. They then learn more ways of writing the same sounds with the complex Speed Sounds Set 3. Children are taught letter names before moving on to Speed Sounds Set 3.

Once children know the first set of Speed Sounds, they are ready to read the first Storybooks.

Speed Sounds Set 1

m - a - s - d - t - i - n - p - g - o - c - k - u - b - f - e - l - h - sh - r  - j - v - y - w - th - z - ch - qu - x - ng – nk

Speed Sounds Set 2

ay – ee – igh – ow – oo – oo – ar – or – air – ir – ou – oy

Speed Sounds Set 3

a-e – ea – i-e – o-e – u-e – aw – are – ur – er – ow – ai – oa – ew – ire – ear – ure – tious – tion

How can you help your child with phonics?

• Make sure your child is at school on time everyday so they are not missing out on phonics sessions.
• Encourage your child to blend and segment at home e.g. I can see a c-a-t.
• Read regularly with your child. It is important they listen to stories be read and have the opportunities to read themselves.
• Practice reading and writing red words.

Below are some useful websites to support your child with their phonics and reading skills:

www.phonicsplay.co.uk 

 This website has lots of free phonics games which includes reading both real and alien words. The children are familiar with this website and it is very popular!

www.ictgames.com/literacy

This website has a range of different games focusing on the reading of sounds, words and sentences.

http://www.familylearning.org.uk/phonics_games.html

A variety of different phonics games that your child will enjoy.

www.oxfordphonicschecksupport.co.uk

This website will generate example phonics screening papers. You will need to register with an email address but it is free to do so.