Reading

Reading

As children move on from phonics-based texts, books are grouped into colour bands and focus more widely on reading comprehension skills. As a school, we follow the Oxford Levels and Book Band colours. Teachers will decide when children are ready to begin, and when to move through this scheme. Children read these books with members of staff in school and they will also be sent home to be read with parents. Children are assessed regularly on their comprehension skills and will move through colour banded levels at their own learning pace.

In addition to their colour banded book, children also take home a library book of choice each week. This is to promote a love of reading and encourage children to read books for their own pleasure. This book of choice is from a wide range of text types in the class library and may sit outside of their reading stage. We encourage families to share these books together with children and support where necessary.  

From year 2 onwards, take part in regular guided reading sessions in which they will be taught reading skills and given the opportunity to practise these. For these sessions, a variety of stimuli, such as films, extracts and whole texts, are used to inspire pupils, capture their imagination and promote a lifelong love of reading.

These reading lessons focus on the VIPERS reading areas: 

Key Stage One

VIPER Content Domain Reference
Vocabulary  1a draw on knowledge of vocabulary to understand texts
Inference 1d make inferences from the text
Prediction 1e predict what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far
Retrieve 1b identify/ explain key aspects of fiction and non-fiction, such as characters, events, titles and information.
Sequence 1c identify and explain the sequences of events in texts
 
Key Stage Two
 
VIPER Content Domain Reference
Vocabulary 2a Give/explain the meaning of words in context
Inference 2d make inferences from the text/ explain and justify inferences with evidence from the text
Predict 2e predict what might happen from details stated or implied
Explain 2f identify/explain how information/ narrative content is related and contributes to meaning as a whole
Explain 2g identify/explain how meaning is enhanced through choice of words and phrases
Explain 2h make comparisons within a text
Retrieve 2b retrieve and record information/ identify key details from fiction and non/fiction
Summarise 2c summarise main ideas from more than one paragraph

 

In line with current educational research, we prioritize the teaching of vocabulary, which is taught weekly, to ensure children’s understanding of the English language develops as they begin to access more challenging texts.

In subsequent lessons, the children are taught a comprehension skill through oracy, shared discussions, role play and explicit instructions in order to develop a mastery of that skill. Children then apply their understanding of the skill into written answers based on a familiar text.

Here is an example of a typical teaching sequence:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Vocabulary Instruction VIPERS VIPERS VIPERS Whole Class Comprehension and Library Visit
 

As pupils progress through the key stage, the level of challenge they face increases through the complexity of the texts they encounter.

Above all else, we want our children to enjoy reading and have the confidence to read independently, exploring a range of genres and authors. All children have access to a library within school, whether this be in the classroom or in a shared area. We have designed these spaces carefully to ensure they are inviting for all children. Across the curriculum, teachers carefully choose high quality texts linked to their topics, interests and to include a range of diversity. 
 
Curriculum coverage for our different classes can be found in the documents below: 
Reading at Home
 
Reading with your child is one of the most important things you can do to help your child. Children will benefit for reading regularly at home with an adult for at least 15 minutes every night. Reading helps your child's wellbeing, develops imagination, improves vocabulary and has many educational benefits. Just a few minutes a day can have a huge impact on children of all ages. 

Try to read to your child every day. It’s a special time to snuggle up and enjoy a story. Stories matter and children love re-reading them and immersing themselves in them. 

For more specific guidance about reading at home, you'll find more information in our 'Reading at Home' document below.