Reading

Curriculum intent

At Grange Juniors, we believe that reading is an essential life skill – not only to enable the growth of independence and confidence in our children but also to encourage lifelong learning and enjoyment. Reading enables children to access all other areas of the curriculum and, as such, is promoted in all other subject areas. The habitual act of ‘learning to read’, and going on to ‘read to learn’, is an ever-present part of school life, both inside and outside of the classroom.

We want all pupils at Grange Community Junior School to be able to read well in order to develop an understanding and appreciation of the world around them, share in cultural experiences and develop the vocabulary they need to effectively express themselves. Our reading curriculum strives to foster a lifelong love of reading. We cultivate the behaviours that they will need to be discerning readers as they read frequently and widely using self-regulation strategies and discuss what they read. This curriculum is delivered through guided reading, phonics, home reading, reading across the curriculum, regular opportunities for independent reading and hearing quality texts read aloud. All of these are essential components as they offer the range of opportunities needed to develop fluent, enthusiastic and critical readers.

By the time children leave Grange Community Junior School in Year 6, we aim that all pupils will attain the national expectations for the end of KS2:

Have read a range of rich texts and have developed a love of literature.
Have developed confidence, creativity and knowledge by thinking, discussing and sharing opinions about texts.
Be able to decode using phonics and knowledge of non-decodable words
Read fluently, with good understanding
Be strategic readers, learning to comprehend texts through; summarising, visualising, making inferences, predicting, questioning, comparing & contrasting, recalling facts & details, answering questions, exploring vocabulary in context and drawing conclusions.
Be able to make choices about what they read

Curriculum implementation

At Grange Junior School, we aim to provide children with the reading skills, knowledge and vocabulary that they will need for life, to ensure that they are confident readers in the future and to support them in the wider world.

In order to do this, teachers focus on teaching different reading skills, to provide depth in children’s reading ability, to stretch their capabilities and make sure that children have a strong understanding of the range of texts they are exposed to. Our progression model is based on the Hampshire phase objectives, built on the National Curriculum. The reading strategies which underpin our reading teaching link to the different aspects of reading as outlined in the NC: word reading, themes and conventions, comprehension (clarify, monitor and summarise, select and retrieve, respond and explain), inference and language for effect.

In whole-class and guided reading sessions, quality texts are used to challenge and inspire all children through discussion, images and discussions around vocabulary.

These are books which form the basis of the literature curriculum to introduce children to a growing range of texts and authors. Whilst some children may struggle to read independently, an important function of these books is to give them access to a wider range of titles, authors and genres that they might not otherwise meet. For more experienced readers, this offers an increasingly challenging range of materials. These books are used, typically as part of whole class guided reading sessions and writing sessions. Texts in this spine are likely to be:

Multi-layered – capable of being read at different levels
Books that deal with important themes
Books in which language is used in lively, inventive ways
Books written by skilful children’s writers and illustrators
Traditional and contemporary ‘classics’ of children’s literature
Stories with different cultural settings
Texts that promote discussion and reflection

Reading is taught through a focus on strategies. These same strategies are revisited throughout each year group and across year groups as each text is taught. Children become more independent strategic readers and these strategies become inherent skills.

Decoding: On entry to Year 3, all pupils’ phonic knowledge is assessed. Where needed, daily phonics is taught, using our SSP Twinkl. The children in Year 3 have a rigorous, systematic synthetics phonics teaching programme for early reading and writing success. These pupils will start off with regular interactive phonics lessons and activities to teach sounds, blending, grapheme-phoneme correspondences, letter formation and pronunciation. Pupils who are still learning phonics will have home reading scheme books which contain a blend of decodable and non-decodable books and we encourage children to read a variety of texts to ensure a balance between poetry, fiction and nonfiction. These reading books are matched to the child’s phonetic development and reading ability which is in line with our progression in phonics.

Fluency: Guided reading lessons are taught 4 times per week. There is a strong focus on fluency teaching. Modelled reading, echo reading and choral reading are used. In 1:1 reading we emphasise fluency as a focus.

Vocabulary: Within Guided Reading, we place a strong emphasis on learning and discussing new vocabulary. On the first read of a new text, alongside fluency, vocabulary is the main focus. Teachers pre-teach particularly difficult words. Pictures and contextual examples are used to clarify new words. These words are repeatedly referred to in discussions and children are encouraged to use them in different contexts and in their writing.

Comprehension: The combination of decoding, vocabulary and fluency teaching, enable us to support children to comprehend what they read better. In Guided Reading we focus on written comprehension in the third and fourth lessons of the cycle, once the text has been thoroughly understood through decoding, clarifying vocabulary, repeated reading for fluency and in-depth discussion, applying reading strategies. This careful and systematic cycle across the week builds on the children’s comprehension skills.

Reading for pleasure: We place a strong emphasis on reading for pleasure with children being given time daily to read independently. Class libraries have a range of books, including books linked to topics being taught in other subjects. Teachers all read a class book to their class; making time to share a book together that is not linked to curriculum.

In assemblies each week, an author of the week is shared. Each month a book club/reading society meets to share a love of reading.

Our school library is used regularly by children and they are encouraged to take home a library book that interests them. Reading events throughout the year to encourage love of reading include participation in the Hampshire Illustrated Book Award (Year 5), Hampshire Information Book Award (Year 4), World Book Day, book fairs and Parent Reading Afternoon.

Lowest 20%: To support our lowest 20% of readers to make progress we identify their gaps in phonic knowledge, target these with interventions where appropriate, phonics reading books, guided reading groups targeting their reading needs and regular reading to adults.

Curriculum impact

During their time at Grange, our children learn to read increasingly challenging texts with accuracy, fluency and confidence. They become comfortable with talking about texts, looking for the deeper meaning and making links between books that they have read. We have a full programme of phonics teaching and small group work to ensure that all children have every opportunity to achieve this and develop their own love of reading.

A high-quality text supports every writing journey with additional text extracts adding both challenge and interest. Guided reading sessions explore both fiction and non-fiction texts often resulting in deep and rich discussion. This often leads the children wanting to know more and the books end up being in high demand!

Through the teaching of reading, we help to prepare our children to become life-long learners but also to be able to enjoy the variety of different worlds to which reading can transport each and every one of us.

Supporting your child with reading at home.