Reading
Intent
At Haddenham St Mary’s we want the children to have a love of books and a real enjoyment of reading. We aim to foster a deep understanding and comprehension of what they are reading rather than just decoding words, including understanding character, setting, plot and being able to identify features of a text and make predictions. We encourage the children to relate what they are reading to their own experiences, make their own choices about their reading and books, become familiar with and enjoy a wide range of genres. We work hard to ensure the children see themselves reflected in their reading material and resources used in the teaching of reading and phonics.
We want the children to be able to apply their reading and phonics skills to the wider curriculum. We encourage the children to use phonic decoding as the primary method for attempting to read unknown words. We want the children to understand and use the vocabulary related to their learning in phonics, in order to understand the mechanics of how they are learning to read.
Our intent is that all children leave Haddenham St Mary’s having reached their full potential in phonics and reading, and in many cases making above expected progress. We aim for the children to progress through the Twinkl Phonics Levels in line with their ability.
Implementation
Daily phonics session Nursery to Year 2 – carefully planned progression of skills through the whole school, including Nursery, Twinkl Phonics Programme.
Groups for phonics to target gaps in knowledge
Reading with teachers, support assistants and volunteers, peer reading (small group and 1:1)
Target readers
Regular phonics assessment
Termly reading teacher assessment
Continuous Provision reading and phonics activities in EYFS and Year 1
Attractive reading areas in the classroom
Attractive library, use of staff and volunteers to encourage regular use and enjoyment of the library
Weekly library session for each class, and borrowing of chosen books
World book day activities – celebrate reading and love of books
Sponsored read
Interventions for phonics and reading – Twinkl Interventions
Daily Class Stories
Votes for class stories
Author of the term
Diverse range of books on offer, taking into account heritage, family set up, medical conditions and disabilities – regular audit of these
Topic related books in the classroom
Range of genres covered in lessons and within the classroom and library
Comprehension
Home reading books changed regularly and chosen by the children in KS1
Reading books linked to phonics phase the children are working at
Constant reviewing and refreshing of reading books
Online reading material, games, Twinkl EReaders
Training, moderation, learning walks – put into practise to improve teaching and learning
Links with the community eg: visit to the local library
Parental/Carer involvement – Relax and Read sessions/ Fun phonics and Parent and Carer workshops.
Impact
Aim for Phonics screening results above national expectation and Bucks average
KS1 reading results above national and local average
Above average Greater Depth reading at end of KS1
Above average achieving GLD in language and literacy Early Learning Goal at end of EYFS
Children talking positively about their reading
Reading at Home
The children take books home each week from our wide range of genres and topics, and the books chosen are linked to the phonics phases they are learning. Children read to an adult in school during the week. This is recorded in the their reading record. Children may be heard by the teacher, headteacher, teaching assistants or school volunteers and parent helpers. All volunteers and parent helpers have up to date DBS checks.
Helpful hints for helping your child with reading
- Please do not rely on the school reading scheme alone – It is there as the basis for reading but it is important that your child reads different kinds of books too.
- Ensure that your child fully comprehends the book by asking questions – Children can easily memorise simple words in books but it is also important that they are able to comprehend what they are reading. You can help children’s comprehension by talking about the story and the pictures and asking questions.
- Do not compare your child’s reading skills (or any other learning) to any other child’s – Children learn at extremely different rates and just like the way they grow physically, they may have ‘spurts’ at different times. If your child is reading at a lower phase than another child, it doesn’t mean that this is always going to be the case. If you are worried about this, your child will pick up on it. Let your child develop at their own rate. If they require any additional intervention we will provide the support that they need and we will discuss this with you.
- Most importantly, your child needs to develop a love of reading – They will do this by reading lots of different books that capture their interest. They won’t develop this by reading the same sentences over and over again. An old wise teacher I once worked with said ‘A story a day turns children into readers’. Children love having stories read to them, it develops their imagination, their language and their reading.
Read and Relax
Every half term, we invite parents and carers to join us in sharing their love of reading. This special event encourages our children to see how important reading is in our daily lives, while also creating lasting memories. By engaging with stories together, we help foster a love of books and literacy, making reading a shared experience that strengthens the bond between home and school. These moments not only inspire our students to become passionate readers but also highlight the importance of reading in a fun and meaningful way.
We use our own carefully developed assessment system to track the children’s progress in phonics and reading.