Reading Pathway at Gainsborough Primary School

Reading is at the forefront of Gainsborough’s curriculum. We recognise the ‘’The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.”— Dr. Seuss

Our curriculum for writing and curriculum lessons is enriched through reading. Carefully selected texts inspire and add context to all topics providing those with limited experience the insight to access other areas they may not have been able to without reading.

Whole school events are always linked to reading and every opportunity to do this is exploited. Some examples are:

• Black History Month – all Autumn term 1 authors cover a black author. Children studied Anansi across the school reading, rehearsing and performing the stories to the school community.
• Keep Kind focus for a half term looks at meditation. Children’s homework asks them to read bedtime mindfulness stories on line and retell these as their writing homework.

The school celebrates a range of author days, world book days, poetry and other awareness days always ensuring reading links are exploited.

Early Reading

In Nursery and Reception books are readily available in all areas of the class to develop a love of books. In literacy we read a book in a three week cycle using Pie Corbett Talk for Writing strategies to support children to understand and know the story. Children are able to retell these stories independently and use activities in the provision that link t the texts. We use these books as our core curriculum focus and they link to all areas of learning. We encourage children to access our cosy reading corners to explore the variety of exciting stories. Adults in class model and read with the children asking different questions about the story. When reading a story, a variety of resources are used to make the stories come alive.

In Reception we encourage children to read a book of their own choice during soft start in the mornings. During this time an adult works with a guided reading group. Children learn how to point to each word as they read and eventually they learn to read with fluency. We encourage parents to volunteer to come and listen to the children read. We train our parents on how to support children to read at home.

Synthetic Phonics

Phonemic awareness begins in the early years, where children begin to list out for and identify key sounds and start to match these to letter names. The school follows the RWI scheme of work to teach synthetic phonics. Children move through the set sounds as set out in the programme throughout Nursery, Reception and Year 1. When children graduate from the programme they move onto the school reading programme.

There are three Speed Sounds sets to learn in RWI, Set 1, 2 and 3. Once the children can read and blend all the set 1 sounds into words e.g. cat, hot, big, they then can read Ditties, then Storybooks.

Sequence of Phonics teaching:

Set 1 sounds- Red Ditty books

Set 2 sounds- Green books to Pink books

Se 3 sounds- Orange books to Grey books

Reading at Home

Nursery home reading book packs promote a love of reading through well known, well written books being used as a base for reading, writing, maths and talk activities. Each week a pack is sent home with activity cards related to the book. Throughout the year children and families read 30 well known texts and learn a range of core skills related to the texts. Parent workshops support parents in the use of these packs and promote a love of reading while building core skills.

Children in year 1 and those  still on the RWI scheme, are given phonetically regular texts which match the phonic teaching they are receiving in class. These are checked and sent home weekly. Children are also given a free choice book which covers a range of genres to ensure they are exposed to different types of texts and build a love of reading. Children and families record the text name and what is read in the learning log. Staff also record any comments, feedback and praise in the learning log for parents.

Children who are fluent readers use the accelerated reader system to self-select level appropriate books based on accelerated reader tests scores. Children have access to the ICT suite at lunchtime and during the reading hour to complete tests when they have finished their book. Children are able to change books in class anytime in the class book box which is well stocked with AR books at the right levels. Children also complete a summary of their AR book in their learning logs and are expected to read daily at home.

Parents are supported with the home reading systems through half termly workshops where children and parents attend and staff support the use of guided reading and the electronic reading systems.

Year Group Authors for Independent Reading in book corners

Class Readers

Each half term a text is read aloud to the class. The text links with the curriculum theme the children are studying. This builds ideas, context, imagery and vocabulary that supports curriculum learning, and writing. Children are enabled to make links more easily with the text as they have covered aspects of the context in curriculum lessons. Class readers cover a range of genres and writing styles. There is also a year group author allocated to each year group. The home reading book trolley has a variety of texts by this author so as the children become familiar and exposed more thoroughly to an author each year.

Reading Hour

Class texts are read in the reading hour. While the class teaching models intonation, enthusiasm, engagement, predicting, summarising and questioning the children are engaged and group discussions are had. Children then summarise the 3 key points from the text and record in the Learning Logs. This reinforces the summary skill and ensures models in the home reading Learning Log.

The second half of the reading hour focuses on listening to children, assessing, supporting the home reader system and running interventions. The teacher allows children so manage their learning and complete one of the activities below based on need:

1. Reading Accelerated reader book independently or with an adult
2. Accelerated reader test and book change if book has been read
3. Learning log completion if not completed at home, praise given for those completing at home
4. Reading running records with class teacher based on those who have greatest need and those the class teacher does not get to hear often

Class Reading Texts 

Reading Lessons

Children in years 2-6 are taught all reading skills through reading lessons for an hour x 4 days a week. Children are grouped based on ability – age expected, greater depth and working below.

Each term the text types and CPD delivered follow the below schedule to ensure a range of genres, authors, text types are covered and that CPD is well planned and supportive for staff.  Key question types are covered acorss the half term to ensure the coverage. There is flexibility in selecting texts

A text is selected from the reading lesson overview and a question type is allocated. Skills in summarising, predicting, clarifying are built up through the week as well as the specific question type that relates to the text. This sequence of lessons builds on directed taught, modelled, whole class skills on day 1, partner working and skills on day 2 and independent skills on day 3. Teachers track the lesson focus through daily marking and scores on the independent test it’s.

Fluency Checks

Teachers model reading aloud, listen to children reading aloud and children are taught to assess partners reading aloud. The do this through fluency testing which is short samples of the reading text read with word/ per minute recorded and feedback on intonation, expression and fluency given. Fluency checks are completed twice weekly.

Reading Assessment

A range of reading assessments are used to ensure an accurate view of fluency and comprehension is gathered and tracker termly. Teachers use information from electronic reading programmes, tests, reading running records, comprehension in lessons and fluency checks to make assess against the reading fundamentals. Test scores and judgements are saved and reviewed in Raising attainment meetings.

Underachievement

The fundamentals tracker highlights underachievement. Children working well below and with SEND are taught to read through level appropriate phonic groups or lower ability reading groups. They are also read with more frequently, assessed more frequently and reading books send home are levelled appropriately.

Interventions may include:

• Phonics practice
• Checking of learning log and AR reading book
• Reading level appropriate phonics books

Reading tracking for these pupils is in place in the reading file in each class. This is reviewed in the RAP.

Online Reading resources

Google Classroom Library (002)

Reading Lists

Reception

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6