Reading Policy

Philosophy Statement

Aims

Teaching Reading

Time Allocation

Lesson Structure

Planning

Equal Opportunities

Resources

Assessment

Record Keeping

Philosophy Statement

Reading is a quest for meaning and one that requires the reader to be an active participant. It is much more than the decoding of marks on a page. It is a process that requires understanding and response to all types of writing. It is through individuals learning to read that we then enable them to read to learn. Back to top

Aims

To develop children's confidence, interest and enthusiasm towards reading and to encourage children to believe that they are readers from the moment they start school.

To ensure that children in school receive consistent messages about themselves as readers and about reading being a worthwhile and valuable experience.

To provide children with an extensive experience of literature including text in a variety of forms, from different authors, cultures and times to stimulate pupil's imagination and enthusiasm.

To recognise the links between reading and writing to enhance the development of both.

To further the children's ability to use the conventions of fiction and non-fiction to aid reading and study and to use this skill for the acquisition of knowledge and pleasure. Back to top

Teaching Reading

Reading is taught carefully and systematically using a variety of methods and resources to enable children to read with fluency, accuracy, understanding and enjoyment, building on what they already know.

Some of the teaching methods used are listed below. Please note that this list is not exhaustive.

Whole text level
Comprehension
Sequencing
Using picture books
Whole word recognition
Using picture cues
Phonic approach
Inference and prediction
Author focus
Reading for information / using index contents glossary
Higher order skills including skimming and scanning
Shared reading
Guided reading
Independent / shared reading (with peers)

Children from Nursery onwards are introduced to a phonic based structured scheme that will be used as appropriate throughout Foundation and Key Stage 1 and beyond if necessary. Back to top

Time Allocation

Reading is taught as an integral part of the daily English lesson

We firmly believe that reading is learnt most effectively when home and school are working in close partnership. Children are expected to take books home on a daily basis and to share these with a more experienced reader.

We also expect children to have the opportunity to listen to texts being read to them both at home or at school on a daily basis whatever age they are. Children will have the opportunity to listen to an adult modelling reading at school read at least 3 times per week.

It is also expected that children will be given time to discuss the material that they are reading (choice, content, meaning, use etc.). Back to top

Lesson Structure

Reading will be taught as an integral part of the English lesson each day. These lessons will incorporate positive attributes from the Synthetic Phonics scheme and NLS but will not necessarily follow the set structure. Opportunities for exploring texts are provided through shared, guided and independent reading at text, sentence and word level.

Children are grouped according to ability in order to differentiate accordingly. Back to top

Planning

Medium term planning will be guided by the NLS and Synthetic Phonics scheme and short term plans will be recorded on the weekly planning sheet. Work is differentiated according to need. Evaluation is used on a daily basis to plan future work. Back to top

Equal Opportunities

Teachers recognise the range of language, culture and experiences that children bring to school. In order to promote confidence and self-esteem, these differences are valued and drawn upon in a positive and constructive way. Teachers also acknowledge the different interests and motivation of boys and girls and strive to provide resources and activities to promote interest and an appropriate level of challenge. Back to top

Resources

It is expected that children will read print in a variety of different formats and contexts in their environment. Every class has a class library or book corner and access to non-fiction texts (See Expectations of Book Corners). Every child has a book bag.

A range of books are colour coded according to National Curriculum level using the Cliff Moon system. There are also structured reading schemes that are stored centrally; these are available for children who have been identified as needing specific support. There is a range of English resources for teachers are stored in the resource room.

There is a range of ICT equipment available in the school to which all children have regular access and shared and guided reading should be readily supported by the use of IWB in every classroom. Back to top

Assessment

Every term, each KS1 and FS child will have a recorded reading interview and each KS2 child will have a teacher assessment of reading recorded in the yellow reading folder. A 'P' Level or an abc NC level will also be recorded half-termly with the interview or assessment. These assessments will help to identify future targets, monitor progress and inform any intervention strategy.

Information about a child's reading experiences will be communicated through the home-school reading diary which teachers should monitor and use to encourage reading.

Additional assessments will be carried out relating to the Synthetics phonics scheme.

Children's 'P' Level or abc NC reading level and book colour will be entered in the child?s individual record sheet in February and July.

Other standardised testing is used (See Assessment & Record Keeping Policy) Back to top

Record Keeping

Each child has an individual reading record which is filled in every term.

A home reading record is kept in each child's book bag and records when a child reads with an adult. This entry is dated and initialled. Parents are also encouraged to record their child's reading progress and any other comments on this reading record.

Where appropriate a record will be kept of sight vocabulary and phonic awareness in line with the structured reading scheme. Back to top