Teaching the Reading Curriculum

We use every opportunity there is to support children’s reading skills and comprehension, and we teach them to develop a love of reading.

Developing a love of reading in children requires a wide, language-rich curriculum and classroom environment that immerses children in books and stories. All classes have an appealing designated book corner to encourage this.  

Guided Reading

Children will have the chance to encounter a wide range of genres, some of which will be unfamiliar. Amongst other things guided reading helps to improve their discrete reading and comprehension skills, broadens their experience, helps them to form opinions about books and authors, and gives them the opportunity to use literary language.

The teaching of guided reading will include both teaching input and pupil activities, with a balance between whole class, guided group work, paired and individual work. Children, along with guidance from the class teacher, will self-select their need for support and challenge level and may work in mixed or ability groups according to the intended learning outcome.

Guided reading will take place at least 3 times a week.

In order to provide the children with active and stimulating learning experiences, a variety of teaching and learning opportunities are adopted:-

• Children may work individually on a task, in pairs or in a small group, depending on the nature of the activity.
• Opportunities are provided to transfer skills learnt, to real situations, are used whenever possible.
• Activities are planned to encourage the full and active participation of all pupils.
• Teachers differentiate tasks throughout the lesson in order to meet the needs of all abilities. 
• Teachers will use targeted and open ended questioning to stretch and challenge
• Teachers value pupils’ oral contributions and create an ethos in which all children feel they can contribute. 
• Bloom’s Taxonomy will be used to ensure that all lessons are differentiated 3 ways, by outcome, support and challenge. This will ensure that the learning is accessible to all  whilst ensuring the children are both supported and stretched and challenged in each lesson
• Children will explicitly taught a wide variety of question styles to support children’s ability to respond to written comprehension questions with confidence.
• Teachers will source a range of high quality texts, which will expose the children to a wide range of genres, writing styles and authors.

Class Read Aloud

At Lydeard St Lawrence reading aloud is a regular feature of all our classrooms. We feel strongly that opportunities to listen to books should not decrease as children move through the school.  So sharing a novel or fascinating non-fiction text with a class forms an important part of the reading curriculum for children in EYFS, Key Stage 1 and 2.

It is our responsibility to make sure that all children hear books read aloud and so all classes have a timetabled read aloud sessions. When the teacher reads aloud, it makes literary language accessible and also provides a model of expressive reading. It is a joyful time of the day where children and adults get the chance to share a story as a class. Class read aloud texts allow all children to access higher level literature and to experience more complex text types and vocabulary. 

Class read aloud books maybe chosen for a range of reasons, such as:

• Recommendations from children or adults
• To support wider class learning
• To support children’s writing
• To expose children to new or historical authors
• To expose children to a range of genres and writing styles

Reading Books

In Key Stage 1, Children will be provided a carefully matched phonics book as well as a self-chosen reading book. Children are expected to read their phonics book at least twice, once for word fluency and once for comprehension.

In Key Stage 2, children will continue through our levelled reading scheme until they reach age related expectations for the end of year 6. Please see below for banded reading levels. 

Once children have reached age related expectations for end of year 6, they will then become ‘free readers’. Free readers will choose a book from the school or class library or from home. We ask that parents ensure any books brought into school are age appropriate.

Drop Everything and Read

The children will be given regular chances to read independently for pleasure. Children may read a library book, banded book or a book bought in from home. This encourages children to develop their own preferences and interest. In addition to building up reading stamina, these opportunities also encourage reading for pleasure.

Library

We are extremely lucky and grateful, here at Lydeard St Lawrence, as we have a beautiful library with a magical woodland feel. Our librarians ensure that the library is tidy and well organised.

Every child has regular opportunities to  access the library to browse the shelves to choose a book for research or simply enjoyment. Class teachers monitor the process of choosing and returning library books.

Throughout the course of the year, children will have opportunities to participate in many activities to support and encourage their passion for reading, such as World Book Day and Bedtime Stories.

Volunteer Readers

We actively encourage members of the local community to work in the school as volunteer readers and their role is to hear children read on a one to one basis, within the classroom. They are an invaluable resource in supporting children’s reading at Lydeard St Lawrence.  

All volunteer readers are required to have a Disclosing and Barring Services check (DRB) when working in the school.

Early Reading and Phonics.

Please click on the link below for information on the school's phonics and early reading programme