Seven Aspects of Reading at Prince Rock
Seven Aspects of Reading at Prince Rock
How do we prioritise reading?
Reading is a central part of the culture of the school and our ambition is that all children learn to read as soon as possible to unlock the rest of their education, provide equality of opportunity and encourage children to read for pleasure for the rest of their lives.
Reading is always a focus on our school improvement plan.
A significant amount of money is dedicated to reading.
We ensure leaders have sufficient time to monitor, coach and assess the impact of reading.
We use an approved an phonics scheme – RWI.
We teach reading every day, in every year group.
Reading books and displays are everywhere in the school to celebrate the importance and enjoyment of reading.
Children read high quality texts across the curriculum.
We employ an academic mentor and a teaching assistant to work in our ‘reading room’ and deliver Fast Track Tutoring (RWI) to ensure children ‘keep up and not catch up’.
We continually coach and train staff.
Our reading spine includes high quality texts that enrich learning and provide access to a range of genres, authors and diversity to reflect our demographics. This is monitored and reviewed regularly.
We encourage reading at home and reward this weekly.
We hold reading events across the year to support early reading, using RWI, and to develop a love of reading.
How do we promote a love of reading?
We teach children to decode as early as possible using RWInc as our phonics scheme.
Stories, nursery rhymes and songs are shared with the children to enrich their language and to make links within their learning and expose them to high quality language.
Children have enrichment books to share with parents.
Accelerated reader provides a selection of books for children to choose from and enjoy within a range appropriate to their ability.
Accelerated reader is monitored closely by all staff to ensure children are reading at regularly and at the correct level.
Adults support children to choose books they will enjoy or might not otherwise have tried.
A reading spine has been curated for KS1, LKS2 and UKS2 with a range of authors and book styles for children to enjoy.
Reading Millionaires are celebrated with their choice of book upon reading 1 million words. They also attend parties.
Progress parties are also held to ensure reading is celebrated.
The school have purchased a book vending machine to encourage further reading by awarding tokens for effort and progress.
Termly author studies in all year groups celebrate high quality authors, reflecting a diverse range of gender and culture.
Teachers read to children every day, immersing them in a world of imagination.
A local librarian visits the school and all classes have visited the local library.
A monthly book club runs for children in year 6.
Children recommend books to their peers through ‘Big Up Your Book’.
Parents are encouraged to enjoy reading with their children through phonics information sessions, Phonics for Parents workshops, provision of videos, reading diaries and through weekly invitations to school to read with their children.
How do we make sure children make progress?
The school teach phonics using the RWInc phonics scheme.
This is taught from day one in YR where they receive 20 mins daily, moving to an hour a day by the end of the year.
Oracy skills are taught throughout the school, including an emphasis on blank level questioning and the use of NELI in YR and explicit vocabulary teaching in whole class reading and across the curriculum.
In year one and two, phonics is taught daily for an hour until the children have completed the RWInc scheme.
Children in Y1, who have completed the RWI Phonics scheme, move into RWI Comprehension.
If a child has not completed the phonics scheme by the end of year 2, they continue to receive phonics teaching as they progress through the school.
In year 2, children who have completed the RWInc phonics are taught through whole class reading sessions.
From year 2 to year 6, the children use the RWInc spelling programme which ensures that they continue to use their phonics skills and become successful spellers and writers.
Fast Track Tutoring is used with any children who need additional support to keep up or catch-up.
Children develop their fluency through whole class reading sessions, model / echo / choral reading, vocabulary teaching and through fluency tool interventions.
Children are taught to use text marking and the 6P's to support the development of their fluency skills.
Whole class reading sessions teach children to comprehend text using the VIPERSS aspects of reading.
Additional reading sessions are provided for children who need additional support.
Parents are encouraged to hear their children read and workshops are provided to support them with this.
How do we match the children’s reading books to their phonic ability?
Children complete half termly RWI phonics assessments and phonics grouping are altered accordingly.
The children take home a copy of the storybook they are currently reading in their RWInc sessions. These are changed every 3 or 5 days depending on the phonics group.
They also take home a RWInc ‘book bag book’ which is linked to their phonics grouping but new to the children.
Links to a virtual classroom are provided for children who are not reading books yet.
When children have completed the phonics scheme, they are assessed using a STAR test which gives them a ZPD from which they can read books. After reading the book, they can take a short quiz to check their understanding and earn rewards. Adults check that children are changing books regularly and the books remain suitable for their ability. A STAR reading test is re-taken at least termly.
How do we teach phonics from the start?
- Phonics teaching begins with our youngest children from day one in foundation.
- Children are expected to complete the RWInc scheme by the end of the spring term in Y2. Some may finish earlier but we ensure they can also read with fluency and follow specific guidance from RWI to ensure they are ready to move on.
First, pupils will learn to read:
Set 1 Speed Sounds: these are sounds written with one letter: m a s d t i n p g o c k u b f e l h r j v y w z x and sounds written with two letters digraphs: sh th ch qu ng nk ck
Words containing these sounds, by sound-blending, e.g. m–a–t mat, c–a–t cat, g–o–t got, f– i–sh fish, s–p–o–t spot, b–e–s–t best, s–p–l–a–sh splash.
Second, we will learn to read:
Set 2 Speed Sounds: ay ee igh ow oo oo ar or air ir ou oy
Words containing these sounds.
Third, we will learn to read:
Set 3 Speed Sounds: ea oi a-e i-e o-e u-e aw are ur er ow ai oa ew ire ear ure as well as the sounds ue, au, wh, ph, oe, ie
Words containing these sounds.
How do we support children to catch up?
Responsive teaching is utilised in all teaching sessions to ensure all children are joining in and identify any children who need additional support.
RWInc assessments take place half-termly which inform FTT and intervention planning.
Responsive teaching and summative assessments enable teachers to move groupings, revisit key sounds, move children on more quickly and to inform writing.
Daily Fast Track Tutoring is provided for all children in the lowest 20% or readers and any identified as working below levels of expectations outlines by RWI.
The school employs an academic mentor and a skilled TA to work in the ‘reading room’, providing this tutoring and additional support for children.
FTT is also provided by class teachers and TAs.
The English lead provides weekly coaching and monitoring to ensure that all phonics teaching is of a high quality, enabling children to make good and rapid progress.
The Academic Mentor provides weekly coaching and monitoring of FTT to ensure all interventions are impactful.
Additional fluency or comprehension support is provided for the lowest 20% of readers who have completed the phonics scheme.
How do we train staff to be reading experts?
All staff have received external phonics training from RWI.
Additional storybook training was delivered by our English lead, using RWInc resources.
The English lead delivers weekly practice and coaching for staff who are teaching phonics. Use of RWI videos are used to ensure practice remains current.
The Academic Mentor completes weekly practice and coaching sessions for Fast Track Tutoring tutors. Use of RWI videos are used to ensure practice remains current and consistent.
RWInc development days provide support for the English lead, particularly around her coaching of staff.
All staff have twice termly English INSETs to revisit and develop reading skills. Recently, we have explored the importance of fluency using research informed from the EEF. Explicit modelling and teaching of fluency using text marking is being developed.
Early Career Teachers can watch more experienced colleagues teach reading.