At Kielder Primary and Nursery, we recognise that English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society, and therefore we strongly believe that a high-quality English curriculum should develop children's love of reading, writing and oracy skills. At Kielder, the love of reading is embedded within our school and we strive to support children to enjoy, access and appreciate a wide range of high-quality literature throughout the whole curriculum. High-quality books are used to build an extensive and rich range of vocabulary which is then implemented across the curriculum. We use a rigorous approach to teaching phonics through Read Write Inc, which supports excellent phonetic knowledge and skills to enable the children to successfully read and write confidently across the curriculum.
We have a holistic approach to the teaching of reading and implement the following:
We teach phonics using a synthetic phonics programme called ‘Read, Write Inc’ (RWI). This is carried out daily through differentiated grouping according to ability within Reception to Year 2. This involves practising speed sounds, reading green (decodable) and red (non decodable) words.
Children who complete the programme then participate in a Literacy and Language group, which focuses on consolidation, comprehension, vocabulary and grammar. Alongside this, our children engage with ReadingEggs on a computer which is tailored to the child’s individual reading level. Children in Nursery work on developing their phonological awareness (similar to Phase 1 Letters and Sounds), moving on to Read Write Inc when they are competent. Read Write Inc is continued into KS2 as required by the needs of children.
The children have the opportunity to read with an adult at least three times a week. Any child identified as struggling with reading will read with an adult (or take part in an additional speed sounds practice) daily.
Children have access to our school library and are encouraged to read for pleasure and engage in informal book talk (IBT). Each Friday, our children take part in reading-related activities with children at Greenhaugh Primary School, widening their circle of reading friends. Children have access to topic-specific books in the classrooms, alongside reading activities.
Within English lessons, children access a range of high-quality texts and they also have daily story time.
Children have access to ReadingEggs, which is a computer-based programme, individually tailored to the needs of each child. The programme is differentiated from Early Years up to Year 6 and ranges from phonetically sounding out letters to comprehension skills. This is used both at school and home.
We use Pie Corbett's Reading Spine and aim for our children to encounter each book on the spine during their time with us.
Our aim is for our children to become fluent readers by the end of KS1, developing their fluency and comprehension as they progress through the school. Regular reading with adults in school means that teachers are very aware as to the progress a child is making in reading. However, more formal assessments are made using the statutory assessments at the end of both Key Stages. These results are measured against the reading attainment of children nationally. Attainment in phonics is measured by the phonics screening test at the end of Year 1. Further up the school, reading comprehension and SPaG tests are carried out termly to assess progress.
By the time children leave Kielder Primary, we aim for our children to be competent readers who achieve well in the statutory requirements but can also readily apply their reading skills in the wider world. We encourage our children to develop a love for reading and enter the magical world that texts can open up to them. Reading for pleasure is promoted as part of our reading curriculum and children are encouraged to experience a wide range of literature across a wide range of genres, cultures and styles. This is to encourage a love of author styles and a variety of texts and be able to review, compare and contrast what they read objectively and to be able to understand and make the most of our exciting world. Furthermore, children are encouraged to have informal discussions (book talk) within class or in pairs to develop a passion for reading.
How can I help as a parent?
Please find below some useful links for supporting your child's reading at home.