Lending Library in EYFS
In Nursery, reading is at the heart of our curriculum. From the very beginning we try to install a love of literature. Children in Nursery take home a picture book from our lending library each week to share at home with an adult.
Phonics
At ARFS, we follow the Read Write Inc. scheme for teaching phonics, a high-quality systematic phonics programme that gives children the best possible start with their reading.
https://www.ruthmiskin.com/parentsandcarers/
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/phonics/
The scheme prepares children for learning to read by developing phonic knowledge, comprehension and reading skills.
As well as learning to read and blend real words, children will have plenty of opportunities to apply their sound recognition skills by reading ‘nonsense words’. These words will also feature heavily in the Year One Phonics Screening check during the summer term.
The aim of the programme is to make children fluent readers by the age of seven. To ensure our high standards are maintained, we have regular development days led by a Read Write Inc. specialist to coach us in new developments and provide training for our staff. All children are assessed regularly so they can work alongside other children who are at the same level. This allows full participation in lessons.
Phonics Resources
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/reading-schemes-oxford-levels/read-write-inc-phonics-guide/
e-Book Library
If you would like additional books, you can access e-books via:
Nursery
In Nursery, stories, songs and rhymes are central to all that we do. We immerse children in a language influenced by books, with songs and rhymes used to promote language and develop an understanding of rhythm and rhyme. Children participate in engaging story times to enable them to love and talk about the stories they hear. We focus on phonological awareness activities during the Autumn and Spring term before moving on to teaching the RWI set 1 sounds and pictures in the Summer term.
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/early-reading-skills-age-3-4/
Reception
In Reception, children are taught a phonics lesson daily where they are introduced to the speed sounds. They will be taught how to say, read and write the sounds, then how to blend the sounds to read words.
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/reading-age-4-5-reception/
Year 1
In Year 1, children are taught a daily phonics lesson where they build on their phonic skills from Reception and learn the complex sounds and alternate spelling patterns.
The Year 1 phonics screening check is a short assessment to confirm whether individual children have learnt phonic decoding to an appropriate standard. It will identify those pupils who need extra support to improve their reading skills. They will then be able to retake the check in Year 2.
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/year-1-phonics-screening-check/
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phonics-screening-check-sample-materials-and-training-video/phonics-screening-check-structure-and-content-of-the-check
Years 2, 3 & 4
The aim is for all children to pass their phonics check at the end of Year 1 and move on to Accelerated Reader texts. For children who do not pass the phonics check, phonics teaching and reading books will continue. Any children who still need support with their reading, continue to be taught Read Write Inc. phonics as an intervention programme. This provides children with the essential knowledge and skills to succeed in this vital skill.
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/reading-age-6-7-year-2/
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/reading-age-7-8-year-3/
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/reading-age-8-9-year-4/
Accelerated Reader
Once children have mastered phonics, using the Read, Write, Inc scheme, they are swiftly moved onto Accelerated Reader books. This allows children to independently select books within their reading range so that they are well matched to their ability. After reading, children then complete a quick online quiz to check their understanding of what they have read.
We ask that parents support reading at home by listening to their child read for 15 minutes per day and recording this in the child's Home Reading Record. Staff keep separate records within school.
Reading for Pleasure
In addition to reading a well matched reading book, children are also encouraged to select a book, from their class library, to read for pleasure. This can be taken home to be read by an adult. Children are not always expected to read these books independently and do not need to be recorded in Home Reading Records.
Books are specifically selected in order to support children to revisit previously read texts, link to curriculum areas taught or to consolidate previous learning. Each Class Reading area has books linked to their learning in History, Science, RE, No Outsiders etc. There are also copies of class novels which are familiar books that children will have been exposed to during their English lessons. Class Libraries are designed to be inviting and teach early library skills. Children are invited to take home additional books from their classroom library as an Reading for Pleasure book.
Library Visits: Gosforth Library kindly invited each year group in school to visit their wonderful space. Each year group has visited the library on two separate occasions and enjoyed listening to the librarians read their favourite picture book, search for new books to read and learn all about our community library. The staff at Gosforth Library were so welcoming that lots of our children have since signed up for their very own library card!
Author Visits: Throughout the year, we are very fortunate to have authors and poets visit our school and run short sessions with children from Nursery to Year 4. Children enjoy meeting authors, listening to their stories and having an opportunity to ask them questions about their books and their job. We are always looking for more writes to visit our school and inspire our young readers!
A new addition to our playground is our Reading Shed, located within the shelter on the yard. During the warmer months, this space is a calm and peaceful place where children can choose to spend their playtimes reading a book, a magazine or doing activities, including word searches.
The Library Champions from Key Stage 2 have helped to make our library an organised and inviting place to be. They have helped to ensure our books are correctly boxed and stored neatly so it makes the process of picking a new reading book an enjoyable one. The Library Champions have also made suggestions of how we can further improve our school library space by creating display ideas, suggesting new books to buy and how our library can be better used by everybody.
Reading at home
At Archbishop Runcie First School, we place great importance on reading both in school and at home. Reading is not just about decoding (working out the words), but also about understanding the text. It is really important that you discuss the book with your child. Here are some of our favourite questions:
- What were the main parts of this story?
- Who were the characters?
- What was your favourite part of this book?
- How did this book make you feel?
Our expectation is that you hear your child read daily, even if this is just 15 minutes. Our reading top tips are:
- Choose a quiet space away from any distractions,
- Help your child if a word is difficult,
- Enjoy sharing stories, books and poems - children love to read!
