READING IN SCHOOL

Please click on the presentation below all about Reading at St. Michael's.

Reading Workshop .pdf

Staff at St Michael’s use both the Programmes of Study from the National Curriculum and the Assessment Criteria used in school to plan and assess pupils within lessons whilst using a validated systematic synthetic phonics schemes (SSP) to teach reading.

Reading is taught 3 times a week to small groups with different focuses:

Session 1: Decoding (ability to apply knowledge of letter-sound relationships)
Session 2: Prosody (expressive reading)
Session 3: Comprehension (understanding the text)

Each year group has a class text which helps to build English lessons and inspire children through their writing. Phase curriculum overview ensures different genres are covered throughout the year and texts are carefully selected to suit the needs of a cohort. A weekly plan will include the type of reading take place: GGR, comprehension, reading skills and other reading activities are all recorded. We ask for reading skills to be included in the planning too, so that teachers build from prior learning and move the children forward.

In Key Stage 1

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised is used to assess and build children’s application of phonic knowledge, expression and understanding of a text. It is started in Reception and runs through to Year 1. Teachers use the criteria of each level to monitor children’s progress and move them through the stages.

How Reading is Monitored

Initial Assessment of phonetic knowledge.
Three Small Group Reading sessions with Class teacher every week.
Weekly assessment on the sounds taught within class.
Keep up sessions implemented on 1:1 or group basis as required
6 weekly assessment sessions
Decodable books are matched carefully to their secure phonics knowledge

In Year 2 and Key Stage 2

Children are carefully monitored and those who are “non free readers” continue to use texts which complements their secure phonics knowledge.

Children in Year 2 are listened to read once every week through 1:1 sessions with the teacher

Year 2 complete one Whole Class Reading session each week.

Years 3-6 complete Whole Class Reading sessions twice a week.

Each class teacher identifies with children who are in need of extra support and books are assigned to them according to their secure phonic knowledge.

Keep up sessions are implemented on 1:1 or group basis as required

Children who require additional support or have gaps in their reading are identified early and support is actioned immediately. This is monitored closely and grouping is fluid.

Reading starters are used three times a week in English lessons to develop comprehension skills

Folders allow reading volunteers to record their sessions, so that the teachers can note what they are reading.

Year 2 - 6 complete a comprehension sessions each week with added booster sessions where needed.

Home School Reading Partnership

Supporting with reading is one example where the home-school partnership is vital in the development of each child and by hearing children read, developing a love of books and reading for pleasure with them makes a big difference to children’s educational and social well-being.

Children in Reception and Year 1, are expected to share books with adults at home on a regular basis. Alongside this, books which are selected based on their phonics are taken home as a celebratory read.

In Years 2 - 6 children who have secured all of their phonetic knowledge will be asked to read at least 3 times a week with their parents/carers and record this in a reading record.

Parents can and do make a big difference by listening, celebrating and enjoying books together.

As part of the home – school partnership we promote the following:

We lead reading meetings to share suggestions to promote a love of reading at home;
We welcome parents to our half termly ‘Reading for Pleasure (RfP) sessions;
We encourage parents to be reading volunteers and support the hearing of readers across the school;
We facilitate the pre-school ‘Learn to Love to Read’ sessions each week.

The Five Finger Test

Expectations for Reading Records

From the end of Year 2 to 6, children are encouraged to take ownership of their reading. This is by recording everything that they have read, whether it be a fictional text or a news report. In KS2 children record all reading both within school and at home which is encouraged by the class teachers. There are regular discussions around book recommendations amongst the pupils and records are checked weekly by teachers. The reading record is an opportunity for the children to celebrate all that they have read.

Resources for helping with reading at home:

Here are some links to support parents hearing children read:

“St. Michael’s Church of England School, established upon Christian foundations and living out the Christian faith, is committed to providing every child with an excellent education.”