Reading
Subject Leader: Mrs Louise White
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 available in print and online. Children who require additional support access targeted intervention through Ready Steady Go sessions, ensuring no child is left behind.
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 Togeher programme provides a structured and evidence-informed approach to reading comprehension. The program includes high-quality texts 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.
Implementation
Daily phonics lessons in Foundation Stage 2 and Year 1
-We teach phonics for 30 minutes a day. 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 make a strong start in Reception: teaching begins by Week 3 of the Autumn term.
-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 4-5 shared reading lessons a week. Staff share high quality texts which may be at a level above which the child can independently read. In these sessions, we aim to instil a love of reading, teach comprehension 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 om their love of reading.
In FS2 and year 1, each week your chilld will bring home a sharing book and a book mark which has a QR code. When scanned the QR code will take you directly to an ebook version of their phonically decodable reading book.
Reading practice ebook
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.
Sharing book
In order to encourage your child to become a passionate lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. The sharing book is a book they have chosen for you to enjoy together. Please remember that you shouldn’t expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters, explore the facts in a non-fiction book. In addition, after reading the book you can pick out some words and help them to expand their vocabulary by discussing alternatives for these words. The main thing is though that you have fun!
Further Help on how to support you child can be found below. The attached videos show how the different different phonic sounds are pronounced and the downloadable documents includes the cpommon exception words which we learn to read on sight. There is also a document that includes the flashcards we use in lessons.
Impact
Assessment
Assessment is used to monitor progress and to identify any child needing additional support as soon as they need it.
- Formative assessment is used:
- daily within class to identify children needing Ready Steady Go support
- 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.
- by SLT to narrow attainment gaps between different groups of children and so that any additional support for teachers can be put into place.
