Reading at St Cuthbert's;
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” - Dr Seuss
We can't encourage parents and carers enough to read often with and to your child/ren - a love of reading is one of the greatest gifts you can give them!
Whole Class Text Study
We use CLPE's 'Power of Reading' to select texts that expose children to rich language and give them opportunities to develop vocabulary. Children will engage in an in depth study as part of their lessons which promotes a deeper comprehension of the text before embarking on a sequence of work which results in a written outcome, linked to the text.
Reading for pleasure
Our goal is to encompass our children with a love of reading. Pupils are read to or read a range of books themselves linked to other areas of their learning. There is a focus on 'reading to learn' across foundation curriculum areas, with children engaging in wider research, both online and through fiction and non-fiction texts. Some of the other ways we promote reading is to encourage our families to read aloud by engaging with our 'Surprise Storyteller' events in school. We offer free choice books for children to take home and change at their own pace, all classes have their own 'Book time Buddy' that goes home every weekend as an incentive to share stories at home. We visit our local library at least termly, to browse and choose a book to take home with our own library card.
Individual reading books
Throughout our school children are supported to become fluent readers through regular opportunities to read and listen to high quality texts; extend vocabulary and promote greater enjoyment of reading. Your child will bring a school reading book home and will be heard read in school, the reading record is a way of tracking your child's reading and a source of communication between home and school.
Whilst learning to read in the early years - the book your child brings home will correspond to the phonics phase they are working within and these books will be fully decodable (your child will be able to decode every word to read it). Once your child has successfully acquired all sounds up to the end of phase 6 in the phonics programme they will continue on the Oxford Reading levelled books that match their reading ability. School staff monitor children's progress reading progress right through school and regularly check children have the correct reading book. Some children may progress quickly through the levelled books others more slowly, we will keep you informed of your child's progress and attainment in reading.
Your child will have a yellow reading record book please sign and date when you have listened to your child read at home. If you have any comments or questions please record them in the book, staff will do the same.
Organisation
We teach phonics in ability groupings using the All Aboard Phonics scheme and reading skills as whole class lessons, so that all children have access to the basic concepts of word building and the age-related skills and knowledge contained in the National Curriculum. During our phonics sessions in EYFS and Class 2 we teach comprehension as part of the session linked to the sounds children have learnt using the relevant All Aboard Phonics text.
Within lessons, teachers and teaching assistants target support for children who are not meeting expectations to enable them to achieve at an age-related level wherever possible. Those meeting expectations or higher are also given opportunities to demonstrate a greater depth of understanding through extended answers, targeted questioning requiring more reasoned answers and making greater links across and between texts.
Regular guided reading sessions take place in lower Key Stage 2. These are always in small groups and we use a range of reading materials so that children experience a range of texts and authors.
Below you will find a link to 'The School Reading List' this is a great site which includes recommended reading books for children as well as other information such as; children's book festivals, events and competitions - please take a look!
See also our 'Phonics' page.