Reading
We believe that reading is the most important thing that your child will learn to do at school. Reading is a vital form of communication for everyone. All our classrooms have attractive reading areas and children are encouraged to use libraries from a young age. We have our own beautifully designed library which all children use. Furthermore, every year group visits our local library in Stoke throughout the year. We encourage children to read daily in a variety of ways and to a variety of people. At Stoke Minster we are determined that every child will read fluently and confidently by the end of their primary education.
Our first approach to teaching reading is through good quality phonics teaching. Children have a daily phonics session in all classes until they have reached Phase 6. The school uses the 'Letters and Sounds' guidance alongside the Babcock Scheme but supplement these with engaging activities within lessons to aid learning. Children learn to ‘read’ the sounds in words and know how those sounds can be written down. It is a systematic approach to teaching phonics. Children practise using their phonic knowledge to help them ‘read’ phonically de-codable books either individually or in Guided Reading sessions. Staff provide further support for children who are not meeting their expected targets. In Year One children complete a Phonics Screening check to demonstrate that they can ‘read’ Phase 5 real and nonsense words accurately. Children also take home phonics based reading books and phonemes which are matched to their learning so that they can practise with their parents or carers. It is important that children practise reading the phonemes learnt that day in school at home. This encourages them to read and helps their confidence to develop. Children are encouraged and expected to read at home every day and their home reading is recorded in reading diaries in every classroom. Children who are reading Phonics books can also take home a colour banded ‘Family book.’ These books are not linked to the Phonics programme and are intended to be read to or with the child as a family. We really value the huge contribution that parents make in the development of reading. We work together to ensure good progress.
The expansion of and understanding of vocabulary is a focus throughout school and begins in Nursery. Once children are reading confidently and fluently we focus more upon the comprehension of the texts. As well as a focus upon new vocabulary, texts are analysed and explored in greater detail. Children are able to record their thoughts and ideas within their Reading Skills books.
To help us instil a love of reading in our children we have purchased a wide selection of books. Our aim is to provide books which are both stimulating and challenging. Our children have access to books by the following publishers : Rigby Star; Oxford Reading Tree Collins; New Way; Pearson: Ginn; Read Write Inc.; Project X
It is a continued aim of ours to foster a love of reading by introducing children to new authors and newly published books of all genres. We participate in national days such as World Book Day, we have visiting book fairs and invite authors and story tellers into school. We participate in the summer reading challenges at the local libraries. We have pupil leadership roles as ‘Reading Ambassadors’ who promote and encourage reading through sharing their thoughts and recommendations around new books. We have different reading events to promote reading such as a ‘Bedtime story session’ in the classrooms with children and parents after school. We have whole school text immersion weeks, where we will all explore, investigate and respond to the same text. This creates cross age shared reading and learning opportunities. It is practice across the school that our children will have the opportunity to enjoy a class story time, in every year group.