Reading
At The Willows we know that reading is an essential life skill and supporting our children to master this skill allows us to ensure that they will be given the same opportunities as their peers nationally. We do this by:
Encouraging our children to foster a love of reading by providing them with a literacy rich environment, making sure that they have access to engaging and inspiring texts and that they can ‘See themselves’ in texts.
Providing children with the skills to decode words, supporting them in becoming fluent and confident readers.
Teaching the children comprehension skills, so that they are able to successfully comprehend and understand a wider range of texts providing further opportunities to foster the children’s ‘Reading for Pleasure’.
At The Willows, We follow the EYFS Framework and the National Curriculum to teach reading.
The teaching of reading focusses on three main concepts which are:
Word Reading
Comprehension
Reading for Pleasure
Reading in Early Years
All children access a daily phonics lesson. Our school's phonics scheme is 'Twinkl phonics'. Our children enjoy being read to by adults every day. There are lots of exciting books in Nursery and Reception for our children to enjoy! There is a focus on 'Concepts about Print' in Early Years - This is the understanding that print carries meaning and that books contain letters and words.
Reading in Key Stage 1
All children in Years 1 and 2 access a daily phonics lesson. Some children may access additional phonics support and/or reading with specialist reading TAs working in Key Stage 1 to support good progress in phonics and reading.
Guided reading sessions, linked to the children’s phonic level, take place daily. Children read with an adult at least twice per week during these guided reading sessions. Children take home a Twinkl mini-book, decodable scheme book (which is either a Rhino Reader or Big Cat Colllins book) and the children choose their own reading for pleasure book.
Reading in Key Stage 2
In Key Stage 2, Accelerated Reader is used to provide children with an individual reading book - The children are able to select a book from their range from a wide variety of books we have available in school. The children access a daily guided reading lesson, where they develop their fluency and comprehension skills.
Some children in Key Stage 2 may require more support with phonics and reading. This is provided through continued lessons and where appropriate, phonics interventions delivered by highly skilled staff. Our specialist literacy teacher provides additional support for children across Key Stage 2, helping them to develop skills in reading and writing.
Our School Library
Marcus Rashford
Our Year 5 and 6 classes were lucky enough to receive 60 free copies of ‘You are a Champion: How to be the best you can be’ by Marcus Rashford. The book is an inspiring guide to life for young people and a great read too. It offers advice on topics such as being yourself, using your voice and getting through adversity. The children have enjoyed borrowing the book to read, and sharing in Marcus' experience of growing up in Wythenshawe!
Grandad Wheels!
Year 5 enjoyed a visit to the Forum Library during ‘disability awareness week’ where they met an author called Brian Abram - he shared one of his series of stories which are called ‘The Adventures of Grandads Wheels’.
The Adventures of Grandad Wheels' is a unique series of children's books about the crazy adventures of a disabled Grandad in a wheelchair and his Grandson Charlie. Each story tells the reader a little bit about what it is like to use a wheelchair… but more importantly, the stories will make you laugh out loud at the silly things Grandad Wheels and Charlie get up to! Above all else, these books aim to show that anyone in a wheelchair, whatever their age, can still have fun and be fun to be with.
Reading Buddies
Our children take a leadership role in supporting the younger children with their reading. The children in Year 6 and Year 3 apply to be a ‘Reading Buddy’ and after completing their training they begin supporting the Year 4 and Year 1 children with their reading. The children are excellent role models and have had a big impact on the younger children’s confidence and helping them to foster their love of reading.
Reading Spine
We use the Pie Corbett Reading Spine which is central to our school’s book stock. This is also supplemented by many other books. In the Foundation Stage and Year 1, the spine suggests 12 great picture books with which children should build a strong acquaintance. Year 2 is a transition year, with both great picture books and ‘chapter stories’ included. The daily read-aloud programme is supplemented by guided, shared and independent reading. In the Reading Spine at Key Stage 2, 6 novels are selected in each year with a focus on one core picture book. This leaves enough space for teachers to add their own enthusiasms and new finds.