At St Andrew’s we believe reading is at the heart of learning. We have invested significantly in quality reading books for the children.
The children’s reading journey starts in Willow Class. The children are introduced to the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Systematic Synthetic Phonics Scheme and so begin to recognise, say and read single letter sounds. This learning journey progresses through 5 phases by the end of Year 1. Progression is established into Year 2 as the children complete a ‘Little Wandle Phase 5 review’ and then naturally move into Little Wandle’s ‘Bridge to Spelling’ scheme which establishes the links between phonics learning and standard spelling conventions.
Daily phonics lessons in Reception and Year 1 are supported and complemented by three, weekly reading sessions where pupils read Little Wandle Phonics books that have been carefully selected to match pupils’ current phonic skills, ensuring that they are able to read the books fluently (needing to decode no more than 1 in 10 words). Each reading lesson during the week has a distinct focus of decoding, prosody and comprehension.
When children have successfully completed the Little Wandle Phonics Scheme at the end of Year 1, they move onto Collins Big Cat books in Year 2. Those pupils who require a little more consolidation are supported accordingly with a pathway tailored to their needs.
We have researched a number of reading book suppliers and have chosen Collins Big Cat books as our scheme of choice for Year 2 onwards. The scheme offers a broad, diverse and balanced range of reading experiences, is structured to follow the National Curriculum and carefully develops children’s reading skills. Most importantly, ‘pupil voice’ consistently reveals that the stories, poems and information they contain are considered thoroughly enjoyable and interesting by our pupils.
Throughout their time at St Andrew’s we encourage the children to read other books of their own choosing. These books are referred to as the children’s ‘sharing books’ in Key Stage 1 as the books selected are expected to be shared with their families. In Key Stage 2, pupils are supported in developing their own reading preferences whilst still experimenting with different authors and genres through their ‘free choice’ books.
We actively encourage parents and carers to take a keen interest in their child’s reading. We request that the younger children read 5 times a week and the older children 3 times a week.
We also believe reading isn’t just about reading schemes. Reading is the art of enjoying books, finding out about our world, going back in time, discovering new universes and realising alternative possibilities. Our weekly ‘Book Club’ promotes a love of reading through providing the opportunity to share, recommend and explore modern and traditional texts. Guided reading sessions and whole class reading lessons further promote a passion for reading in our pupils.