Reading
The person responsible for developing Reading and Comprehension at our school is Miss K. Caldwell Follow our fantastic reading Twitter page @ReadsWillis
Intent
At Whiston Willis Primary Academy, reading is at the heart of our curriculum. We aim to develop fluent, confident and thoughtful readers who develop a lifelong love of reading.
Our curriculum develops both word reading and comprehension, enabling pupils to acquire knowledge, broaden their vocabulary and access learning across the curriculum. Through carefully selected, high-quality literature, pupils encounter a diverse range of authors, genres, cultures and perspectives that broaden horizons and support their social and moral development.
Early Reading and Phonics
Early reading is taught systematically through Read Write Inc. (RWI) Phonics. Daily teaching develops pupils' phonic knowledge, decoding, fluency and comprehension. Decodable books are closely matched to pupils' developing phonic knowledge, enabling them to practise and consolidate what they have been taught.
Pupils are regularly assessed so that teaching is matched to their needs. Those requiring additional support receive targeted practice, including pupils in Key Stage 2 who have not yet secured the necessary foundations in reading.
Developing Fluent and Comprehending Readers
As pupils become secure and fluent readers, they progress to whole-class reading and comprehension using Literacy Tree Reading Leaves as our core curriculum framework. High-quality fiction, non-fiction, poetry and other texts are used to progressively develop vocabulary, retrieval, prediction, inference, explanation, sequencing and summarising.
Teaching reflects our whole-school pedagogical approach, informed by Rosenshine's Principles of Instruction and our six-part lesson structure. Retrieval, explicit instruction, modelling, questioning, guided practice and regular checks for understanding support pupils in becoming increasingly fluent and independent readers.
Oracy is integral to reading. Through purposeful discussion, pupils explore vocabulary, articulate interpretations, justify their ideas using evidence and respond respectfully to different viewpoints.
Independent Reading and Reading for Pleasure
We want every pupil to develop a genuine enjoyment of reading. Pupils encounter a broad range of high-quality texts through class reading, shared stories, poetry, curriculum texts and opportunities for independent reading.
Accelerated Reader supports independent reading once pupils are ready to move beyond the early reading programme. Assessment helps pupils select appropriately challenging books, while quizzes provide opportunities to develop and monitor comprehension.
As a Rights Respecting School, we carefully consider the texts pupils encounter so that they experience diverse voices, cultures and perspectives, develop empathy and see both themselves and the wider world reflected through literature.
Home Reading
Home reading is an important part of developing confident and enthusiastic readers. Pupils following RWI take home books matched closely to their phonic knowledge alongside opportunities to read for pleasure. As pupils become independent readers, appropriately challenging books support continued fluency, comprehension and enjoyment.
We encourage families to read regularly together and to talk about books, vocabulary, characters, events and ideas.
Impact
Our aim is for pupils to leave Whiston Willis as fluent, confident and enthusiastic readers who can understand, discuss and evaluate a wide range of texts and use reading to access learning across the curriculum.
Curriculum Progression
Our reading curriculum is carefully sequenced from EYFS to Year 6. For further information about the content taught in each year group, click the curriculum overview below:
What is Read Write Inc. Phonics?
Follow the link below for support and guidance for how to best support your child with their reading at home:
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/reading-schemes-oxford-levels/read-write-inc-phonics-guide/
Follow the link to find out more about Talk through Stories:
https://www.ruthmiskin.com/programmes/talk-through-stories/about-talk-through-stories/
Follow the link below to support your child with their reading comprehension:
Click here to explore the fantastic reading learning going on in school.
