Reading Curriculum

Reading

Curriculum Intent
At Ballifield Primary, we are determined that all children will become fluent readers, developing a love of reading that genuine and infectious to those around them, regardless of their starting points, needs or abilities. We place reading at the heart of our curriculum, selecting high-quality texts that inspire and engage our pupils, increase their knowledge of the world and immerse them in our rich literary heritage.

We believe that Reading is central to life and learning, and this accordingly underpins our whole reading ethos: we meet the world and each other through words, and therefore, Reading occupies a uniquely important place in our school. The Reading learning in our school builds sequentially year to year, term to term and day to day as children are supported to master key skills and deepen their knowledge as readers. The texts selected for study are carefully selected, exposing pupils them to diverse styles, structures and contexts, and helping to build cultural capital. The text scheme of work has been carefully crafted to become increasingly complex in style, content and theme, with each year’s work ‘boot-strapping’ them up to the future year, and with careful consideration being given to the knowledge and cultural capital necessary to fully access the material.

We want all children to be the recipients of high-quality reading lessons which teach the foundational skills of reading and provide children with opportunities to build on and master these skills across the curriculum. We are equipping them with the skills to fully access increasingly complex texts which they will be exposed to at the end of key stage 2 and giving them the tools to continue their continued educational journey with confidence.

The development of fluency and vocabulary are carefully woven into lessons, whereby our pupils gain the ability to express themselves and their ideas in an articulate and confident manner

By the time children leave Ballifield, they will have studied a range of the best modern and classic fiction, high quality visual texts and the best classic and modern poetry. They will have studied and know the works of some of the most important authors including, Beverly Naidoo, Ted Hughes, Michael Morpurgo, C.S Lewis, David Almond, William Blake, Neil Gaiman, Louis Sachar and Alfred Noyes. 

Our ultimate aim is to support children in making the shift from learning to read to reading to learn where children read for information, purpose and pleasure.

Implementation
In KS1, reading is taught through daily Read, Write Inc lessons, lasting an hour. Read Write Inc. (RWI) provides a structured systematic approach to reading, phonics and writing for all children. Using synthetic phonics, children quickly learn to blend letter sounds together following a fun and effective programme.

Their journey to become fluent readers and effective and coherent writers begins in Foundation Stage.  Where pupils learn the first 16 single letters sounds, special friends and discover a love of books, through listening to a range of genres and stories.

When using RWI to read the children will:

• learn that sounds are represented by written letters
• learn 44 sounds and the corresponding letter/letter groups using simple picture prompts
• learn how to blend sounds
• learn to read words using Fred Talk
• Read lively stories featuring words they have learned to sound out
• show that they comprehend the stories by answering questions

Teachers share picture books with their class each day during story sessions. This gives the children opportunities to hear repeated phrases, including the rich language, punctuation and sentence structures authors use and exposes them to stories beyond their current reading ability. Thus, creating an enjoyment for books where everyone regardless of ability can access a range of authors and different genres. Teachers model new vocabulary, expression and pace for pupils to replicate in their own reading, alongside questioning techniques for reading fluency, (check understanding of what has been read) so they can read at a sufficient rate to support their comprehension by increasing pace and confidence to decode unfamiliar words using ‘Fred in your head’.   Building fluency, explaining new vocabulary and background knowledge to the book theme is key for each pupil’s reading journey where they can confidently demonstrate their understanding of the text and discuss key ideas.

Pupils from EYFS to Year 2 read a text linked to the RWI program, which they take home each day.  After reading these 3 times at home, they then have their book changed.  Each child has their book change at least once a week and staff ensure that those children who need extra reading are supported in school.  Pupils also have the opportunity to take home a shared library book each week, which they share with their adults at home.

In KS2, reading is taught in all year groups for approximately half an hour a day through a novel study approach, drawing on the Power of Reading for inspiration. A reading sequence may last for 2 weeks or up to 8 weeks depending on the length and challenge of the text and the age and stage of the children.

Lessons will include the teacher modelling reading, children reading together and independent reading and have an identified skill focus that pupils can apply to monitor and overcome barriers to comprehension.

These include:

• prediction
• questioning
• clarifying vocabulary
• summarising
• and activating prior knowledge.

Teachers will model and scaffold these strategies; then support pupils to increasingly use them independently, with less and less prompting from the teacher. Comprehension is further supported by daily fluency activities which help redirect cognitive resources from word recognition to comprehension of the text. Pupil’s fluency is developed through the class teacher modelling appropriate fluency, and the children having he opportunity to reread a short section with feedback on their pace, volume and expression. These activities are performed as a whole class, allowing all children to develop their prosody without the pressure of being singled out.

The texts have been very carefully chosen to provide gradually increasing levels of challenge and complexity as children move through the key stages and consideration is given to the reading experiences that children will need in order to meaningfully access complex and classic fiction and poetry, archaic texts and the challenging vocabulary and range of literary devices they will meet by the end of year 6.  

Teaching sequences have been carefully planned so that knowledge builds incrementally with time to consolidate prior learning and multiple opportunities to embed new skills. Through these sequences, children learn how to read as a reader and as a writer, understanding the meaning of what is being read and the impact and effect of language and syntax.

Impact
Termly scrutinies of children’s English books allow the subject leader and Senior Leadership Team to identify progress in writing knowledge and skills and fidelity to the unit plans and progression documents. The scrutiny pays particular attention to groups of learners including disadvantaged pupils and those with Special Educational Needs. Feedback enables teachers to address gaps in learning and secure greater progress for all.

The RWI programme has been proven to be a very successful method of teaching every child to read and write using phonics. Over the last few years we have seen a significant improvement in phonics screening at Year 1 using the RWI programme, alongside one to one interventions, with improvement at the end of KS1 in reading and writing.

Any children who are identified as falling behind are targeted for appropriate support in termly pupil progress meetings.

By the time children leave us, the majority are confident and able readers who have been exposed to a range of challenging texts, developing a strong understanding of language and the impact of the written word.  Ballifield pupils will have highly developed fluency skills, understanding the performance aspect of reading and bringing a text to life. They will have build bank of cultural capital in relation to both authors and the world they have experienced through the texts.