The National Curriculum for English (2014) aims to ensure that all pupils:  

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding  
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information  
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language.  
  
  Reading underpins children’s access to the curriculum, and it clearly impacts on their achievement. There is considerable research to show that children who enjoy reading and choose to read benefit not only academically, but also socially and emotionally.  
  
  Reading in School  
  
  Children are provided with a range of enjoyable reading experiences so that they become confident readers who can use books effectively for pleasure and information. Reading schemes are used to structure progress at home, while at school a range of cross curricular texts, and opportunities to read independently as well as with an adult, are used to help children develop fluency, expression and comprehension skills.  
  
  Reading for Pleasure  
  
  Here at Denham Village we strive for our children to have a love of reading. We foster this through 

• Weekly DEAR (Drop, Everything And Read) sessions. Every Friday the children and staff hear the bell at some point during their day and know this is their protected time to simply enjoy the pleasures of reading - regardless of year group, subject or even meetings.  
• Monthly shared reading. Our children thoroughly enjoy sharing reading together as established through a pupil voice, this is why we have ensured they are able to have the time to share with opposite classes to share one of their favourite books together.  
• We celebrate World Book Day every year – this is a day that we celebrate all that authors give us through planned activities and learning.  
• At the end of every term, we celebrate a reader from each year group. These are selected by the class teacher for a pupil’s dedication to expanding their reading skills, for showing their pleasure for reading or for their growing their reading genres. 
• A Community Library has been installed allowing children to access books at breaks and lunch and take them home whenever they would like.  
• We have authors and reading workshops to promote the process of writing a book.  
• Fun and interaction reading challenges in our newsletters  
• A half termly reading newsletter to recommend new reads  

 

Reading practice sessions in the EYFS and KS1  

To be able to read, children need to be taught an efficient strategy to decode words. That strategy is phonics. It is essential that children are actively taught and supported to use phonics as the only approach to decoding. Other strategies must be avoided. Phonic decoding skills must be practised until children become automatic and fluent reading is established.  

Fluent decoding is only one component of reading. Comprehension skills need to be taught to enable children to make sense of what they read, build on what they already know and give them a desire to want to read.  

Reading increases children’s vocabulary because they encounter words they would rarely hear or use in everyday speech. Furthermore, children who read widely and frequently also have more secure general knowledge.  

Children need to be given regular opportunities to apply the phonics they have learned to reading fully decodable books. The phonic progression in these books match the progression of Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised.  

Reading practice sessions take place three times a week. Each reading practice session has a clear focus, so that the demands of the session do not overload the children’s working memory.  

The reading practice sessions have been designed to focus on three key reading skills: 

• decoding 
• prosody – reading with meaning, stress and intonation  
• comprehension – understanding the text.  
  
  Content and structure  
  
  The reading practice sessions have a clear structure:  

• Pre-read: Revisit and review  
• Reading practice: Practise and apply  
• Review: Pacey review of any misconceptions and explanation of what is expected for home reading.  
   

  Reading at Home

We will send home books for early readers which include: 

• a reading practice book matched to the child’s phonic stage that they can read independently  
• a sharing book that they can talk about and enjoy with their parent/carer.
  It is important that schools explain to parents/carers the difference between the child’s reading practice book and the book they take home to share.  

 

Reading Practice Book  

It is the school’s role to teach reading. However, parents/carers play a vital role, too. It is important that children have plenty of practice reading at home in order to become fluent, confident readers. 

Parents’ or carers’ support is needed to help their child practise reading and develop fluency with a book they have already read at school. This book needs to be matched to their phonic stage and be fully decodable. If books are sent home that the child cannot decode, it will lead to frustration for the child and the parent/carer.  

To ensure that reading at home is an enjoyable experience and does not feel like a chore, we send home reading practice books in which the child can read 95% of the words. It does not have to be a different book every time; it may need to be the same book if the child still needs to develop fluency.  

The children should be able to read the practice book with developing confidence and fluency without any significant help. The parent/carer’s role is to listen with interest and, most importantly, to encourage and praise, enthusiastically acknowledging the child’s achievement (even if, at the early stages, this is only small).  

After the child has read the book, it may be helpful to talk about the book, but only so far as the child is interested. The parent/carer should keep the experience positive and avoid turning it into a test.  

Sharing Book  

If children are to become lifelong readers, it is essential that they are encouraged to read for pleasure. The desire of wanting to read will help with the skill of reading. To help foster a love of reading, the children will take a book home that they can share and enjoy with their parent/carer.  

Involving the children in the choice of this book is important. These books offer a wealth of opportunities for talking about the pictures and enjoying the story. The children have access to a variety of books, including non-fiction, so they can enjoy a range of writing.  

Children are not expected to read this book independently. The book is for the parent/carer to read to or with the child. Again, it is good to talk about the book with the child, but important not to turn the discussion into a test. The goal is enjoyment. 

 

Whole Class Reading KS2  

The continuation of the children’s reading is taught in a whole class setting when children transition into KS2. Within these sessions the children focus on; 

• developing language and vocabulary through a word of the week,  
• literary features,  
• the six reading domains which are the key areas which the children need to know and understand in order to improve their comprehension of texts  
• book talk e.g., discussion of the text and the authors choices e.g., characters, building empathy. 

Research and Evidence  

• Reading is the single most important skill which will underpin a child’s education. 
• Reading impacts writing, spelling and vocabulary. 
• Children whose parents frequently read with them in their first year of school are still showing the benefit when they are 15. 
• Reading achievement is best where parents engage in activities that involve putting words into broader contexts (such as telling stories or singing songs), read to the child (in the early years and beyond), and listen to their child read on a regular basis. 
• Gains in pupil achievement stemming from parental engagement tend to be permanent. 
• Parents’ own level of education is not a deciding factor, what is important is that parents read with their children on a regular basis (several times a week) and talk about what they are reading. 
• Even fluent readers benefit from reading to an adult and being read to. 
• Long term skills associated with being a skilled reader are innumerable and include communication, empathy, resilience, shared thinking, self-confidence and coherence. 
  
  Practical Advice  

• Aim to read for 10-15 minutes. Short and frequent sessions are far more beneficial than longer infrequent ones. 
• Find a relaxing comfortable place away from distractions. 
• Sit side by side so you can both see the page. 
• If it is a new book, talk about the book cover, blurb and why they have chosen it. If it is a book they are continuing, recap the story/key points. 
• If your child is reluctant or tired, read alternate pages for them. 
• Don’t correct every small slip. 
• If they get stuck on a word, pause and give them time to decode it; encourage them to sound out the word (but not on non-phonetic words such as because); give the first or last sounds to help them; praise them for attempting the word even if it is incorrect. 
• Vary your reading together: as well as school books, try newspapers, magazines, comics, recipes, games or instructions. 
• Don’t criticise if they keep choosing the same favourite book or series, it’s all part of learning to read. 
• Buy books as presents and visit the library. Charity shops can be a good source of cheaper books.