Policies
Reading Policy
Introduction
The programmes of study for reading at key stages 1 and 2 consist of 2 dimensions:
word reading
comprehension (both listening and reading)
It is essential that teaching focuses on developing pupils’ competence in both dimensions; different kinds of teaching are needed for each.
Skilled word reading involves both the speedy working out of the pronunciation of unfamiliar printed words (decoding) and the speedy recognition of familiar printed words. Underpinning both is the understanding that the letters on the page represent the sounds in spoken words. This is why phonics should be emphasised in the early teaching of reading to beginners (ie unskilled readers) when they start school.
Good comprehension draws from linguistic knowledge (in particular of vocabulary and grammar) and on knowledge of the world. 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 must be encouraged to read widely across both fiction and non-fiction to develop their knowledge of themselves and the world they live in, to establish an appreciation and love of reading, and to gain knowledge across the curriculum. Reading widely and often increases pupils’ vocabulary because they encounter words they would rarely hear or use in everyday speech. Reading also feeds pupils’ imagination and opens up a treasure house of wonder and joy for curious young minds.
It is essential that, by the end of their primary education, all pupils are able to read fluently, and with confidence, in any subject in their forthcoming secondary education.
National Curriculum in England 2014
Reading in Key Stages 3 and 4 follow the National Curriculum Programme of Study for English:
As reading is at the core of accessing all areas of the curriculum, it is essential that at Sunny View School, there is focused and dedicated time given to the teaching of reading. Reading is promoted as an independent, problem-solving activity.
ALL TEACHING STAFF ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEVELOPING OUR WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH TO READING
Aims
Sunny View School aims to develop literate pupils who:
Read for pleasure
Develop a critical appreciation of the work of authors, poets and Illustrators in order to emulate these skills in their own writing
Have the skills and strategies necessary to become competent and fluent readers
Read to acquire knowledge
Read a wide range of quality texts
Make close links between reading and writing
Read fluently with confidence
Read to develop vocabulary
Select own choice of texts
Read in all subjects
Develop research skills, using library, class and ICT based texts.
Care for and want to own books
How We Teach Reading in EYFS & KS1
Sunny View School teaches reading through a combination of approaches:
guided reading
shared reading
individual reading
paired reading
reciprocal reading
performance reading
independent at school and at home
modelling reading
Guided Reading
Guided reading is the prime approach to teaching reading at Sunny View School in Preschool and Primary. It takes place on a daily basis from Reception through to Year 6.
Teachers plan for guided reading using the objectives from the EYFS or 2014 National Curriculum and focus on a particular objective according to varying learning needs.
Planning identifies the learning focus, planned questions, follow up tasks, activities and comments boxes.
Assessment comments are used to inform ´next steps´.
Pupils are grouped according to their ability and texts are chosen to match these ability levels.
A carousel of activities rotate over 3-5 days. These may include the pre-reading activity, guided reading with the teacher and a post-reading activity. Other activities could include written reading comprehension, reading e-books, independent reading or paired reading.
Teaching sequence
Book Introduction
This provides the context for the reading. The teacher will activate prior knowledge and/or discuss the main themes of the text, including some prediction of the contents.
Strategy Check
Just prior to independent reading the teacher guides the children to focus on and apply key strategies while reading independently.
Independent Reading
Children will read independently while the teacher gives focused attention to support/prompt, monitor and assess individuals as they read.
Returning to the Text
The teacher asks questions, promotes discussion and interacts with the children to extend their thinking and develop their responses to the text.
Teacher Talk
Teacher talk is positive. It values, praises and promotes positive reader behaviour. Teachers use prompts, such as:
Were there enough/too many words? (one spoken word to one printed word)
Check it. Does it make sense and sound right to you? (meaning)
You said___ Does that look right? (graphophonic)
Try that again and get your mouth ready to start the tricky word. (graphophonic)
You made a mistake. Can you find it? (self-correction)
How did you know you were right? (self-monitoring)
Do we say______________? (language structure)
I liked the way you went back to the beginning of the sentence when you realised you had made a mistake. (self-monitoring/authentic praise for self-belief/risk taking)
Shared Reading
Shared reading is a whole class activity using a common text. Across key stages, teachers will focus on comprehension of the text, the layout, purpose, structure and organisation of the text. A particular aspect of spelling or grammar and punctuation work may provide an additional focus depending on the objectives being worked on at that time.
Individual Reading
Children need to be heard to read individually if their reading age is more than one year behind their chronological age, or if the class teacher is aware they receive no reading support from home. If a child is more than a year behind, they should be heard to read individually at least twice a week.
Paired Reading
Children work in pairs; they may be of the same age or from different year groups. The emphasis during these sessions is on reading for enjoyment and the development of the ability to respond appropriately to a text.
Reciprocal Reading
This strategy is used with a group of children. Each child has a role to play in the group:
Reader
Summariser
Predictor
Monitor
Clarifier
The children carry out their own reading session, independently carrying out their specified job. The reader reads aloud, then the monitor asks questions to the clarifier. The summariser will paraphrase the text and the predictor will make predictions about future events in the text.
Performance Reading
This will come from reading a performance poem, a play script or text which provides a stimulus for drama activities e.g. reading a performance poem and acting it out.
Independent Reading at Home/School
Children are encouraged to choose an independent reading text and choices are monitored. Children record the date, title and page number in their reading record. At Sunny View School we encourage a reading partnership where parents share books at home with their children and provide valuable help and support. Parents are encouraged to make comments in reading records, regarding pupil's progress. Teachers welcome these views and will discuss them with parents and pupils. Comments in the children's reading record need to be informative, positive and identify next steps. Reading is encouraged in home languages as skills are transferable into English. Parents should be made aware and supportive of this.
Modelling Reading
Class novels and text books allow daily opportunities for children to hear and see adults read. Teachers modelling reading to students motivates children to read and helps them to;
build vocabulary
develop understandings of story structures
support developing connections between print elements
have high levels of understanding
understand the reading process in a meaningful context
hear fluency
Planning
Teachers plan using a range of texts for whole class teaching from the EYFS or 2014 National Curriculum in England.
Objectives are taken from EYFS or 2014 National Curriculum and used as assessment opportunities and success criteria.
Planning identifies links with other curriculum areas, computing opportunities and opportunities to teach spelling, punctuation and grammar within the unit.
Reading Strategies EYFS & KS1
To establish a common approach throughout the school, the children will learn phrases to help them remember key reading strategies. Picture cards will be displayed in each classroom. They will also be used as prompts in guided reading sessions.
Choosing the Correct Book
There are 3 'levels' of reading.
Independent level (95% + of all the words): The level at which the child can understand all of the text and all of the words. Here the child is reading for pleasure.
Instructional level (90-95% of all the words): This is the level at which the child is learning how to read without losing comprehension. This is the level that the child should be reading when sharing a book with an adult. The adult can support the child with a variety of strategies* to improve and become more fluent.
Frustration level (less than 90% of the words): At this level, comprehension and fluency are lost and errors become too many to correct and support effectively. Reading books should be selected that are 'instructional'. At this level the child should be able to read and understand about 9 out of 10 of the words without difficulty.
Reading books should be selected that are 'instructional'. At this level the child should be able to read and understand about 9 out of 10 of the words without difficulty.
Progression
The school uses curriculum guidance from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the National Curriculum for England 2014. These provide a framework for teachers on how children will progress through their years at the three stages of the primary curriculum (EYFS, KS1, KS2)
Age-related expectations
Children come to reading at varying stages in their development. However, at Sunny View School, in order to ensure reading success, we follow the guidance set out in the chart below to monitor progress according to age-related expectations. These stages also serve to inform reporting progress levels and attainment to parents.
Early Years Foundation Stage
Phonics
The foundations for reading rely upon secure phonic knowledge. Sunny View School follows the Letters and Sounds programme which aims to achieve reading fluency at around age seven. Nursery children learn about different sounds in phase one of the program, and begin to understand that the spoken word can be represented in print. Some children may begin to recognise and say the letters of the alphabet.
Reception children begin to learn the 42 phonic sounds. These are taught at a rapid pace. The teaching methods are multisensory and active using the wider school environment such as the playground and the outside learning area to ensure learning is retained and fun. Children are assessed at the end of each phase of letters and sounds and if secure will move onto the next. Those children who are not secure will be supported to target gaps.
A record of the children´s progression in phonics is shared with the parents, along with suggestions of good quality support materials that promote home/school learning.
Phonics Bug and Bug Club
Phonics Bug and Bug Club are used in class to teach phonics and shared reading. Reception and Year 1 children have a subscription to Phonics Bug and Bug Club online, which enables them to access reading and phonics materials from home. This also offers valuable support to parents who are unfamiliar with the phonetic code. Each child must be given their log in and allocated appropriate levelled books to read that are match to their reading stage. This can begin once they are secure with the first 2 sets of letters (s a t p i n m d). The class teacher must keep the online libraries stocked with new books frequently. Class reward are given to children who use Bug Club independently.
A love of books
Story time is a special time without the need for technology. The children in both Preschool and Primary listen to stories read by the teacher at least once daily. Each classroom has an attractive reading area where children can select and read high quality literature, across a range of genres, which captures and motivates the desire to learn to read.
Readiness to read
Children will be ready for reading at different times. Teaching reading formally too soon, gives the message to the child that reading is a difficult and unenjoyable process. Children display a readiness to read when they start to show an interest in print and when they begin to look at books independently. As soon are children become secure with the first 2 sets of letters (s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d), they will be given books to take home. They will also take part in small group, weekly guided reading sessions led by their class teacher, using the same book they take home. In addition to the guided reading book, children are encouraged to select an additional book from an appropriate book band.
Independent from the start
To get the children into good reading habits, they are encouraged from the outset to use positive reader behaviour:
To take out their book ready for reading
To select books which capture their interests
To hold the book independently
To turn the pages independently
To follow the words with their own finger
Reading, writing and speaking
Reading, writing and speaking are taught as reciprocal. Children at Sunny View School are taught to make connections to writing when reading. Opportunities are taken to rehearse writing, spelling, letter formation etc. during guided, shared and individual reading sessions.
How We Teach Reading in KS3 & KS4
The role of the teacher in developing reading skills
In order to support and enhance pupils’ reading skills, it is essential that teachers across the curriculum provide opportunities for learners to do the following:
read and engage with a variety of different texts both in print and on screen
learn how to sift and select information appropriate to the task
follow up their interests and read texts of varying lengths
question and challenge printed information and views
Use reading to research and investigate.
Reading Activities
Pupils will have the opportunities to:
Use reading to research the subject area
Use the library and ICT to support subject learning
Be as independent as possible through reading to learn
Read for pleasure
Read a range of non-fiction text types
Read texts in different media
Read narratives of events
To locate and retrieve information
To select and make notes from a text
To use a range of reading skills such as skimming, scanning, reading for meaning
To read fiction texts which will support their learning in a subject area
Approaches
Teachers will aim to:
facilitate reading development through their subject
present reading tasks at a suitable level
draw pupils’ attention to structure, layout, format, print and other signposts
help pupils to skim, scan or read intensively according to the task
teach pupils to select or note only what is relevant
help pupils to question, challenge and recognise bias in a range of texts
support pupils who are at the early stages of reading
teach pupils to read identified subject vocabulary
Materials
Pupils will be provided with:
a range of materials to support the subject topic
texts at appropriate readability levels which cater for the range of pupils’ reading needs
materials reflecting a balance of culture and gender
materials which are up-to-date and attractive
resources / reference materials which enable all pupils to be independent
Organisation
Lessons will provide:
opportunities to facilitate the assessment of reading either formally or informally
activities which focus on reading and reading skills
opportunities to understand and use specialist vocabulary (key words)
homework activities which require reading Progression in Reading
Pupils move from using texts selected by teacher to finding their own texts
Pupils identify and select own texts rather than using texts selected by the teacher
Pupils select texts which demand higher order reading skills rather than simple reading texts which require limited reading skills
Pupils use many relevant sources rather than using one source
Teacher develops the reading habits of pupils to encompass new authors and challenging texts
Strategies for supporting reading in the classroom
Pre-read the selected text: This is essential in enabling you to spot any problems that your pupils may have accessing the text. Is the text suitable for all your pupils? What are the issues? (Vocabulary, layout, density of text, etc.)
Give regular reminders: During any reading activities, remind your pupils about the reading prompts and strategies they can use to access the text.
Create a context: When we read any new text we use our prior knowledge from the texts we have already read and the world around us to help us to make sense of the information. By creating a context using group discussion, diagrams, charts and summaries you help to support learners with limited prior knowledge and experience of reading a wide range of texts.
Model reading skills: This is a crucial strategy and helps to make the skills of effective readers explicit. Modelling reading demystifies the reading process. When modelling reading, share with your pupils what you are doing and thinking as you read. Explore the key features of the text. What do you notice about the text? Is it written in a particular style? What kind of text is it? (Instructional, descriptive, evaluative, etc.) Share the reading strategies you are using. What do you do when something does not make sense or you meet a new word or phrase?
Check pupils’ understanding through questioning: It is essential to check that all your pupils understand what they are reading. Try to use a range of questions to check the level of comprehension. What is the text about? What do we learn from reading the text? How can we relate the information in this text to others we have previously read?
Never underestimate the power of talk: Effective collaboration/talk and questioning are essential strategies to help pupils engage with texts. Give pupils opportunities to talk to each other about what they have read.
Provide a range of reading opportunities: In order to widen the reading repertoire, it is essential that we provide opportunities for pupils to read a variety of different texts both in print and on screen.
Check the presentation of your own resources: This is particularly important for struggling readers and pupils with dyslexia. Consider the following when presenting text:
Use short sentences where possible.
Do not use elaborate fonts.
Select font size 12 or 14.
Leave spaces between lines.
Bulleted or numbered points are easier to interpret
Use headings and sub-headings.
Use bold font to highlight words (italics and underlining can make words run together).
Print on pastel-coloured paper, e.g. cream.
Avoid light text on dark backgrounds.
(Additional information on supporting pupils with dyslexia can be found on the British Dyslexia Association website: www.bdadyslexia.org.uk)
Provide glossaries/displays: Glossaries and displays provide useful support for unfamiliar vocabulary and key words. Try to include a visual representation alongside the selected word definition and provide a context for using the word, e.g. within a sentence.
Using reading prompts
Reading prompts are strategies that Pupils learn to use in order to help them read and make sense of words that are challenging or unfamiliar. For successful readers these prompts become second nature and an integral part of their reading skills toolkit. Less successful readers need encouragement to use reading prompts whenever they read. By reinforcing the importance of the reading prompts, we can help readers to feel more confident an ultimately more independent when accessing a text.
Additional Support
Intervention programmes
For children who are not making the expected progress, a range of intervention programmes are used to ensure pupil 'catch-up ' to their peers
Early Literacy Support (ESL) in KS1
Further Literacy Support (FLS)in KS2
Additional 1:1 reading
SEN, G&T
Children with Special Educational Needs will be heard to read individually by the class teacher/teaching assistant to achieve their reading targets.
Children who are more able readers will be given texts appropriate to their level of reading and will be extended in guided reading groups by questioning about the text.
Phonics KS1/2
Children continue to follow the letters and sounds program throughout KS1 and into KS2 until they have achieved success in all six phases. This will happen at different rates for different children. Phonics teaching will take place daily in 20 minute sessions and discreetly through other aspects of the curriculum. Continual formative assessment will help target gaps in phonic knowledge and will be addressed in class through intervention programmes and supported individual work.
Assessment
Foundation stage
Ongoing assessments of reading behaviours during the session or day
Ongoing assessments using Early Learning Goals.
Termly phonic assessments where appropriate to ability.
End of foundation stage profile assessment.
Key Stage One
Ongoing assessments during guided reading sessions using group reading records.
Termly assessments of high frequency words and phonic checks, including reading tests.
Phonic Screening
Key Stage Two
Ongoing assessments during guided reading sessions, group reading records
Termly assessments of high frequency words and phonic checks
Reading tests
Progress checks
Comprehension tests
Monitoring and evaluation
SLT analyse end of key stage assessments.
Planning for reading is amended according to identified areas of weakness.
Progress in intervention programmes are monitored every half term.
Targeted support provided to specific groups linked to analysis of performance data.
Subject Leader monitors planning, quality of teaching and learning and assessments.
Class teachers monitor pupil's reading records.
Guided reading lesson observations.
SLT monitoring of guided reading records
Placement tests for new students from Year 3 upwards to assess reading level
Volunteer Helpers
Secondary students
Primary teachers to help students understand the strategies the children are working on and how they can best support readers.
Links with Parents
Home school links play an important role in reading success, particularly in the EYFS and KS1.
Letters to parents on guidance for reading at home.
Book bags with school logo, so children can take pride in and care for their books when taking them home, snacks and water are not kept in book bags.
Reading record books for parents to note down reading at home and for teachers to write in when guided reading/individual reading has taken place and next steps in reading development.
Scholastic book club.
Bug club online and Collins Big Cat for Reception and Year 1.
Drama and Reading
Drama techniques will be used to enhance the teaching of reading. These will include role-play, hot seating, improvisation and group performance to:
Explore familiar themes and characters.
Consider character, motive and story development.
Respond to issues and dilemmas.
Consider alternative courses of action.
Empathise with characters and situations.
Analyse, discuss and review a variety of texts.
Differentiation
Differentiation is planned by:
guided reading ability groups
organisation of pupils e.g. for paired reading
Selection of texts
use of additional adults
planning for differentiated outcomes
intervention groups/individuals
time allowed for tasks
Additional Support
Including provision for children with SEN, Gifted and Talented and issues of gender, language and ethnicity.
Performance of specific groups is monitored
Whole class planning addresses specific needs
e.g.:
choice of texts to motivate both boys and girls
differentiated questioning to challenge gifted and talented
opportunities to use first language
draws upon different cultural experiences
Targeted support is provided for specific underachieving groups.
Texts are chosen to:
engage reluctant readers
reflect multi-cultural society
demonstrate dual language texts
provide positive role models
provide high interest but low skills
Dyslexia
Children who display dyslexic tendencies, from age 7 (see link), are put forward for screening. These children will need personalised support programme which may include the use of specialist equipment and materials.
Equal Opportunities
All children have equal access to the curriculum regardless of their ethnicity, gender, disability or ability.
