Reading
"If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books."
Roald Dahl
How we teach Reading:
From Years 2 to 6, children are taught reading through the ‘Pathways to Read’ scheme which promotes a mastery approach to learning. This breaks down learning into small sequential steps allowing time for pupils to become competent. Each week a whole class shared reading session follows a four-part structure: predict, clarify vocabulary, read and retrieve, and read and explain. Pupils extend their learning through linked group reading sessions and independent follow-up activities. This overview of units shows the range of texts and objectives covered. Independent reading sessions take place in each class every day, and older children also act as reading buddies for the younger children in school. Our books are drawn from a wealth of real reads and a range of schemes and include phonically decodable books for our beginner readers. Schemes which form part of our well-stocked library include Oxford Reading Tree, Rigby Star, Rigby PM, Collins Big Cat and Phonics Bug. We use the Accelerated Reader programme where books are linked to online AR quizzes which check how well children understand what they are reading. Each AR book is matched closely to the reading ability of each child through STAR tests. The programme rewards children with points for each book they successfully quiz on and allows teachers to track progress and identify children who need extra support. We are fortunate to have volunteer readers who read with children individually, sharing books together to develop speaking and listening skills.