Reading
At Thomas Whitehead CE Academy, our intent behind the teaching of reading is to ensure that, by the time each child leaves our school, they are able to read with fluency, have a wide and varied vocabulary, take pleasure in reading across a range of genres and have a strong motivation to read for a variety of purposes.
The national curriculum for English 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
- appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
Implementation
Early Readers
Phonics is delivered daily in Early Years and KS1 to develop Early Reading skills using the Little Wandle programme, which teaches systematic synthetic phonics. Early readers are assessed half termly to ensure phonologically decodable books are matched using Big Cat Books which link to our Little Wandle programme. Reading practice sessions are taught 3x weekly to develop decoding, prosody and comprehension skills for Early Readers.
KS2 Reading
At Thomas Whitehead CE Academy, we believe that modelling effective reading strategies and scaffolding learning, with high level questioning and enticing books filled with rich vocabulary transforms good readers into avid readers, imaginative writers and articulate communicators. This is achieved by judiciously selecting whole class chapter books that provide challenge and delivering 3x sessions of focused guided reading. Reading across KS2 focuses on guided reading fluency, guided comprehension and independent comprehension. This is to ensure children are taught the skills of fluency; pace, intonation, expression and comprehension; vocabulary, inference, prediction, explanation, retrieval, sequencing and summarizing so that they can apply these skills independently.
Accelerated Reader
We use accelerated reader to ensure that the books levels are accurately matched to the children's reading ability. We assess children each term using Star Assessment. This provides children with a ZPD range and ensures that they are accessing books within their reading skill set. Once children have read their book they will then take a quiz to check their comprehension. This is a fun way of encouraging children to read as they strive to meet their targets and goals through quizzing. Certificates are awarded to children who achieve their goals during our achievement assembly.
Impact
Through the teaching of reading, our children will be able to leave primary school as fluent readers who are able to: comprehend the texts that they read; apply their broad vocabulary to other aspects of English i.e. their writing; read for pleasure or information. Our children will also have acquired many transferable skills which will be useful for the reading they will need to do at KS3 and beyond.
Assessments
At the end of KS1, in Year 2, and at the end of KS2, in Year 6, children will be tested on their reading skills by sitting their Reading Statutory Assessment Tests known as SATs. These tests are designed to assess how well each child is doing in relation to the National Curriculum programme of study for reading, and is primarily a test of reading comprehension. Children are given a series of texts to read, and must write answers to questions about what they have read.
Children who have successfully completed the phonics programme are assessed on our new platform Accelerated Reader every term. This will generate their ZPD book level and they quiz once they have completed a book for continuous assessment.
KS1
There are two papers in the Reading test, each worth 20 marks. Each may include fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Children answer comprehension questions to show their understanding of the texts.
In Paper 1, children are given a booklet that contains a selection of short texts to read (between 400 and 700 words). There are questions to answer at various points within each text with space for children to write their answers. The test lasts approximately 30 minutes.
In Paper 2, children are given a booklet of longer texts (between 800 and 1100 words) and questions in a separate answer booklet. The test lasts approximately 40 minutes.
KS2
For the English Reading KS2 SATs, children are given a reading booklet and a separate reading answer booklet. The reading booklet may include fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Children answer comprehension questions to show their understanding of the texts.
The test is out of 50 marks and children have 60 minutes to complete it.
Progress in Reading Assessments (PiRA)
Children from Year 1 to Year 6 will have their progress in reading assessed routinely three times a year – Autumn Term, Spring Term and Summer Term – using PiRA. These termly tests enable our teachers to reliably benchmark every child’s performance and track their progress against national averages in reading.