Reading

Intent

Learning to read is one of the most fundamental skills that your child will learn whilst at Cotham Gardens. We encourage all pupils to read widely across a broad genre of fiction, non-fiction and poetry to develop their knowledge of the world in which they live, to gain knowledge across the curriculum and to develop their comprehension skills. It is our intention that, by the end of their primary education, all pupils are able to read fluently and have a deep-rooted appreciation and love of reading that they will carry throughout their lives and continue to allow them to be lifelong learners. 

Implementation

As a Power of Reading school, reading is embedded across all areas of the curriculum and high quality texts form the springboard for our cross curricular topic learning. We recognise that teaching reading is a “complex, incremental process in which every lesson is a tiny contribution to something vast”. (Such. C, 2021 The Art and Science of Teaching Primary Reading) 

Our teaching of reading has two main strands: 

• Word reading (decoding) 
• Reading comprehension 

Children need to become experts in both strands in order to be successful readers. Much of our reading teaching is incorporated into the daily English lesson, and sometimes into topic lessons as well. This teaching is also supplemented by stand-alone specific reading lessons. 

Word reading:  The youngest children are given the tools to enable them to decode words so that they learn to read systematically through the Little Wandle for Letters and Sounds phonics scheme. More information on our phonics programme can be found here. By the end of year 1, children will have learned the basic tools of the English language and will move on to more advanced code in their phonics and spelling lessons. All teachers at Cotham Gardens are trained in teaching phonics and spelling. Developing reading fluency is a key element of word reading lessons, especially during the middle years of primary school.

Reading comprehension: Gaining meaning from the written word is closely correlated to children’s spoken language skills which is why at Cotham Gardens we have developed our curriculum to put quality texts and spoken language at the heart of our curriculum through the Power of Reading.  

Reading comprehension is taught from the first days in YR right through the school, in dedicated reading lessons and also as part of our wider English curriculum and cross curricular learning. Teaching is a mixture of explicit strategies as well as ensuring we offer a language rich, enabling environment.  

Developing a wide vocabulary is essential to reading success. Understanding of vocabulary is intimately linked to children’s background knowledge of the world around them. Our Power of Reading curriculum is carefully constructed to ensure that children are exposed to a wide range of texts and subject areas in order to expand that knowledge and experience. Discussions, trips, visits are all part of the tapestry of learning that feed into children’s ability to read and comprehend the written word.  

Timetabled ‘Read Aloud’ sessions with the teacher are a sacrosanct daily feature in every class in the school. We are also extremely lucky to have our own school librarian who is central to our Reading for Pleasure ethos and coordinates author visits and links. All classrooms have carefully stocked book corners (mini libraries) and children are given the chance to read for pleasure every day in school and are encouraged to do the same at home. We have developed a committed group of reading volunteers from the community to support children with their reading fluency, stamina and comprehension.  

We teach explicit reading comprehension strategies such as fluency, prosody, inference, self-questioning, visualising, text structure, vocabulary (including morphology and etymology), and summarising.

More information on the teaching of reading in each year group can be found lower down the page.

Impact

Through the teaching of systematic phonics, our aim is for children to become fluent and confident word readers before the end of KS1. Alongside this they will have been exposed to a wide range of teaching and texts to equip them with wider reading skills such as comprehension, inference, and prediction to ensure that they are inspired to continue their reading journey through KS2.  

As a Year 6 reader, transitioning into secondary school, Cotham Gardens children will be fluent, confident and able readers, who can access a range of texts for pleasure and enjoyment, as well as use their reading skills to unlock learning and all areas of the curriculum. 

We firmly believe that reading is the key to all learning and so the impact of our reading curriculum goes beyond the results of the statutory assessments. 

Year group specific information

Reception 

Reading for pleasure: Our first step is to encourage the love of reading and sharing a variety of books with the children. We also embed lots of singing and rhyming into our daily curriculum. We believe it is the foundation and building blocks for children to develop the interest to learn how to read. Upon your child’s start to school we ask all children to bring in their favourite reading book to school to share with the class. To conclude our day, we always have a read aloud story. 

Decoding/fluency: Within the first few weeks of starting school, children will begin learning through a daily phonics lesson. Through the year children will be taught methods to develop fluency through word and sentence reading. Each child is read with three times a week in a small group, we call this our “Reading Practice Sessions”. Within this session our child will get to read with an adult and practise decoding words to develop fluency, learn the skills of prosody and comprehension.  Each child is given a book bag in their first few weeks of starting school. Within their book bag, each child will have a story book that they select from their class library as a reading for pleasure text as well as a matched phonically decodable book as an e-reader. Additional phonics  books from our older book stock are also available for extra practise.

Comprehension: As a Power of Reading school, each term we explore a couple of texts which are interwoven through a variety of learning opportunities in our everyday learning choices environment as well as structured learning opportunities e.g. topic, PE. Our daily read aloud stories are also regularly linked to the overarching topic of the Power of Reading book or children’s interests. There is a big focus on oracy and vocabulary development in reception to support each child’s literacy skills. 

Assessment: Daily assessment for learning allows teachers to identify children who are need additional input through keep up sessions. Children’s phonic knowledge is formally assessed every 6 weeks using the Little Wandle assessment tracker so that catch up sessions can be timetabled for children at risk of falling behind.  At the end of the year children will be able to read books that match their phonic knowledge with increasing fluency. The children will be assessed against the Literacy Early Learning Goal that encompasses comprehension, word reading and writing.    

Year 1 

Reading for pleasure: Underpinning the teaching of reading in Year 1 is the nurturing of a love for reading. To achieve this, we have at least one daily read aloud session in which we share diverse and inclusive literature across multiple genres.  As a Power of Reading school, we encourage a love for books and develop storytelling through our daily English lessons. Each half term, we focus on several high quality texts, unpicking vocabulary, bringing the story to life through role-play and responding with various writing opportunities. Our learning around these texts is woven into our wider curriculum.  

Decoding/fluency: Children are taught to decode, blend and segment words through the daily teaching of systematic synthetic phonics. We follow the ‘Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised’ programme.  

Comprehension: Children are led by an adult in a ‘Reading Practice Session’ at least three times a week. These sessions are designed to develop the children’s decoding skills, reading fluency, prosody and comprehension strategies. Matched decodable reading books are sent home to every child as e-readers. Additional phonics  books from our older book stock are also available to take home for extra practise. Children also take home high-quality sharing books from our wonderful class libraries.  

Assessment: Daily assessment for learning allows teachers to identify children who are need additional input through keep up sessions. Children’s phonic knowledge is formally assessed every 6 weeks using the Little Wandle assessment tracker so that catch up sessions can be timetabled for children at risk of falling behind. All children sit the national phonics check in the summer of year 1. Children are also assessed in the Autumn and Spring terms to track progress towards phonic mastery. At the end of the year children are assessed using standardised tests to give an accurate reading age and to identify any areas of weakness. 

Year 2 

Year 3 

Reading for pleasure: Reading is central to what we do in Year 3.  We encourage and promote home/school reading through regular book recommendations and our interclass reading competition. Reading for enjoyment is modelled by the class teachers on a daily basis and supported by our wonderful class libraries. 

Word reading/fluency: By the time children are in Year 3 most are able to decode accurately. However, phonics continues to be embedded and any gaps the children might have are plugged during the daily SPAG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) lesson.  Children always have their home school reading books to hand, reading while books are handed out etc. We never waste an opportunity to read for enjoyment! Whole class fluency sessions at least twice a week will often use texts that are linked to children’s wider learning (eg topic/RE/PSHE ). 

Comprehension: Our morning skills task will often include a higher order thinking question in response to a short text or image.  We use highly engaging Power of Reading texts in every writing lesson with plenty of time for discussion around the text where children have opportunities to activate background knowledge, discuss vocabulary and authors’ intentions and predict outcomes. There is often a strong emphasis on reading comprehension in many of the writing activities that relate to the text. In addition, we use a number of excellent reading resources to develop specific reading skills so that all children can gain access to ever-more challenging books. These include the Oxford Owl E-library and the Brody texts, where children can hone their reading for meaning skills. 

Assessment: Children are formally assessed three times per year using NTS standardised reading tests. Children who are falling behind age related expectations may also be benchmarked using PM Benchmarking. 

Year 4 

Reading for pleasure: Year 4 is an excellent year to further embed the children’s love of reading. This is an age where children become more and more enthusiastic about books and their independent reading. They love to talk about what they have read and what they may have learnt.  In year 4, we invite children to recommend a book to the class (perhaps one that that they have been reading at home) that they have recently enjoyed. It is wonderful to hear the detail and the eagerness of the children reviewing their books, always seeming very proud of themselves. This gives other children an idea of what type of books they might choose for reading at home, in class or in our school library. 

Word reading/fluency: By the end of year 4, the children should be reading fluently with expression, and using punctuation to help their reading flow. Our daily class 'read aloud’ read by the teacher models these skills to encourage the children to imitate some of these skills. Whole class reading lessons are a feature not only in our English lessons, but in topic, science and R.E sessions too. The children love reading aloud to the class, demonstrating their ever-growing reading skills. Each child also has a chance to read one to one with a teacher once a week for their teacher to further hone these skills and give them next steps and tips to guide them in the right direction. 

Children with gaps in phonic knowledge will be supported through our Little Wandle rapid catch up programme.   

Comprehension: Whole class Power of Reading lessons work incredibly well with supporting our learners’ enthusiasm of reading, cleverly linking in with our termly topic. Comprehension is interwoven across the curriculum, with a focus on vocabulary development and oracy alongside exposing children to a wide range of texts and genres. We encourage as much independent reading by our students as possible. This could be during our peer reading or silent reading sessions in school or at home. Small group guided reading sessions also give children a more targeted opportunity to learn from their teacher and each other how best to gain meaning, pleasure and understanding from a text.  As with other year groups, all children in year 4 have a reading record that they are asked to complete as a record of reading that they have enjoyed at home.  

Assessment: Children are formally assessed three times per year using NTS standardised reading tests. Children who are falling behind age related expectations may also be benchmarked using PM Benchmarking.  

Years 5 and 6

Reading for pleasure: Our read aloud text choices are always inspired by our curriculum topics, demonstrating to the children how authors combine fact and fiction to create great literature. We believe that this approach generates a lifelong passion for reading and provides the children with an immersive learning experience. All classes have a carefully curated book corner and reading is encouraged to have high value amongst all members of the class. Every child has a chapter book ‘on the go’ and reading records/diaries are used to keep a record of progress and enjoyment.  

Word reading/fluency: Private reading for pleasure is an essential part of upper key stage 2 life and every class dedicates at least ten minutes a day to quiet reading time. During this segment of the timetable, the children are always engrossed in their reading books and busy writing notes in their reading records. Non fluent readers will be supported with their reading of levelled books during this time. Whole class reading fluency lessons take place at least once a week and will often be part of our wider teaching (for example, during topic/RE/PSHE etc lessons). 

Children with gaps in phonic knowledge will be supported through our Little Wandle rapid catch up programme.    

Comprehension: As is the case throughout the school, teaching reading comprehension is thoroughly cross-curricular, interwoven with the Power of Reading and connected to our curriculum topics as well as English lessons. The aim of this approach is to show children, as they enter their final years of primary school, how essential reading is across all subjects. For example, in our ‘Migration’ topic, the focus text in English for that term is a narrative about refugees, and the linked reading lessons will use a range of fiction and nonfiction extracts to not only teach the children essential reading skills but also widen their topic knowledge. 

Discrete reading lessons are centralised around eight main areas: fluency, prosody, inference, self questioning, visualising, text structure, vocabulary development and summarising skills. These challenging texts are taught whole class with careful questioning and support to ensure all children understand the text at an appropriate depth. As children progress through upper key stage 2, children are also prepared for statutory assessments by studying and practising a proportionate amount of formal SATS style questions. 

Assessment: Children are formally assessed three times per year using NTS standardised reading tests. Children who are falling behind age related expectations may also be benchmarked using PM Benchmarking. 

A note on dyslexia 

Some children struggle more than others with word reading. Some of these children will go on to be formally diagnosed as ‘dyslexic’. We are not able to diagnose dyslexia in school.  

We recognise that the English language is particularly tricky to decode and gives struggling children unique challenges which require a great deal of persistence from the child, and skilful teaching from the adult. Dyslexic children need the same high quality phonics teaching, reading practise and fluency activities as all other children, with further support where required. We aim to provide this at Cotham gardens, no matter whether a child has a diagnosis or not.