Reading
Subject Leader: Miss Nicola Johnson and Mr Adam Chwalko
Reading Intent
Phonics and Early Reading at The Arches Cummunity Primary School
Our Phonics curriculum is designed to provide a broad and balanced education that meets the needs of all children. We follow the award-winning Ready Steady Phonics by Literacy Counts, a DfE-validated systematic synthetic phonics programme designed to ensure all pupils become fluent, confident readers.
The programme is research-informed and impact-proven, supporting children in developing the knowledge and skills needed to decode, comprehend and enjoy reading.
The progression document ensures that phonics is taught daily through a clear four-part lesson structure that builds children's understanding incrementally. Children are taught to apply their phonics knowledge in both reading and writing, supported by matched decodable texts online using a QR code. Children who require additional support access targeted intervention through bespoke phonics interventions.
We also prioritise language development and reading for pleasure across our curriculum, recognising that both are key to reading success. Our aim is to help every child see themselves as a reader for life.
Comprehension
From year 2 onwards, to further develop children's reading and ensure they understand texts, we follow Literacy Counts' Ready Steady Read Together programme which provides a structured and evidence-informed approach to reading comprehension which is undertaken 5 times per week. The program includes high-quality texts (a variety of fiction, non-fiction and poetry) and features that are designed to engage and motivate children, enhancing their reading experience. It supports the development of strong reading outcomes by incorporating metacognitive strategies and ensuring consistency across year groups.
Each reading session includes strategy focus; vocabulary; modelled reading; echo reading; choral reading and questions that link to the different strategies.
Oracy
Every reading lesson contains opportunities that provides Speaking Spotlights featured within Ready Steady Read Together, showing how oracy, speaking and listening and drama skills are developed progressively across the units and year groups.
Implementation
Daily phonics lessons in Foundation Stage 2 and Year 1
-We teach phonics daily. In Reception, we build from 10-minute lessons, with additional daily oral blending games, to the full-length lesson as quickly as possible. Each Friday, we review the week’s teaching to help children become fluent readers.
-Children in Reception are taught to read and spell words using Phase 2 and 3 GPCs, and words with adjacent consonants (Phase 4) with fluency and accuracy.
-Children in Year 1 review Phase 3 and 4 and are taught to read and spell words using Phase 5 GPCs with fluency and accuracy.
Year 2 and Key Stage 2
Using the Ready Steady Read Together programme these classes have 5 shared reading lessons a week. In these sessions, we aim to instil a love of reading, teach comprehension strategies and explore new vocabulary. All staff will use these sessions to foster a love of reading through their own enthusiasm and love of texts.
Reading plus is used in UKS2 to further develop reading speed and comprehension.
Supporting your child with reading
Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a huge impact on their reading journey and particularly on their love of reading.
In FS2 and year 1, your child will bring home a book mark which has a QR code. When scanned, the QR code will take you directly to an e-book version of their phonetically decodable reading book.
This book has been carefully matched to your child’s current reading level. They will have already read this book at least three times in school so if your child is reading it with little help, please don’t worry that it’s too easy – your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading. Before, listening to them read this book, you can use the inside cover to go through the sounds they've learnt that week. Remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! If they can’t read a word, ask them to decode (sound it out) and blend it. After they have finished, talk about the book together.
Reading for pleasure book
Each class will have their own reading library which contains a variety of high-quality texts selected from the top 100 books recommended for their age group. All children across the school can choose which book they would like to take home to read. We encourage these to be shared with an adult at home and read together.
Children who are showing great enthusiasm with their reading will be invited to a weekly book club in which a small group are given the opportunity to share recommendations and what they have been reading about.
Impact
Assessment in phonics
Formative assessment is used:
Weekly in the Review lesson to assess gaps, address these immediately and secure fluency of GPCs, words and spellings.
Summative assessment is used:
Every six weeks to assess progress, to identify gaps in learning that need to be addressed, to identify any children needing additional support and to plan the Ready Steady Go interventions as needed.
Assessment in shared read
Formative assessment is used:
Daily after application of reading strategy in books.
Lesson 5 is an application of learning strategies learned in the week.
Summative assessment is used:
Termly NFER assessments to track progression
