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English – Phonics and Reading

Reading at Holbrook

INTENT

At Holbrook Primary School, we believe that reading is at the heart of learning. We want every child to become a confident, fluent reader who understands what they read and develops a lifelong love of books.

What we aim for

We want children to:

  • Develop secure phonics knowledge and use it to read unfamiliar words.
  • Read accurately, fluently and with confidence.
  • Develop a rich vocabulary and understanding of language.
  • Read and enjoy a wide range of books, poems and other texts.
  • Develop their understanding, imagination and empathy through reading.
  • Use their reading skills confidently across the curriculum and as they move on to secondary school.
IMPLEMENTATION

How we teach reading

In Reception and Key Stage 1, we teach Song of Sounds, a systematic synthetic phonics programme validated by the Department for Education. Phonics is taught every day through a carefully sequenced programme. Children practise the sounds they learn by reading words, sentences and fully decodable books.

Children's phonics knowledge and reading progress are checked regularly. Where children need additional support, this is identified quickly and appropriate teaching and intervention are put in place to help them catch up.

Children take home a decodable book matched to their current phonics knowledge, as well as a book of their choice to share with an adult. As children become fluent readers, they read an increasingly wide range of age-appropriate books.

Across school, children read high-quality texts that introduce them to a wide range of authors, poets, cultures, experiences and ideas. Our reading curriculum builds progressively, developing children's vocabulary, fluency and comprehension as they move through school.

Whole-class reading lessons give children regular opportunities to explore texts together and develop their understanding. Children learn to find information, explain ideas, make predictions, infer meaning, discuss vocabulary and summarise what they have read.

Teachers regularly check children's understanding and use this information to address gaps and misconceptions and plan the next steps in learning. Children who need additional support are given appropriate help to develop their confidence and independence.

Reading for pleasure

We want children to read because they want to, not simply because they have to.

Teachers share books with their classes through regular story times, and children have opportunities to choose and explore books independently. Our library is well stocked and regularly used.

We promote a love of reading through whole-school activities and events, including World Book Day, author visits and online events, book fairs and reading challenges. Reading Ambassadors in Years 2–6 help to promote reading within their classes. In Reception and Key Stage One, family members are invited to come into school with their children on Friday mornings for shared reading.

Reading at home is an important part of developing confident readers. We encourage children to read regularly with an adult and record their reading in their reading diary. Our online learning journal, Tapestry allows parents to share videos of their child's reading at home.

IMPACT

The impact of our reading curriculum

Children become increasingly confident and fluent readers as they move through school. They develop the knowledge and vocabulary needed to understand and discuss what they read and use their reading skills across the curriculum.

Children who need additional support are identified and helped to make progress. By the time they leave Holbrook, children are well-prepared for the next stage of their education and have the skills and enjoyment needed to continue reading throughout their lives.

 

 

 

 

Phonics Information Presentations

  • Useful websites

Encouraging reading

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