Reading
At Torrisholme Community Primary School we are passionate about reading. Reading is fundamental to many aspects of life. Reading development is crucial to the progress children make across all areas of the curriculum; children who are proficient readers are more self-assured and have greater enthusiasm to learn. Thus, we are intent on supporting our children to become confident and effective readers by making reading development a high priority for all in school.
Our overarching aim is to promote high standards of language development and reading comprehension which can transfer across all curriculum areas while developing an enjoyment of text and a widespread pleasure for reading. We want all children to:
· Develop a ‘love’ of reading and a curiosity of books.
· Read easily and fluently, both aloud and quietly, using expression and with understanding.
· Develop the habit of reading often across a range of texts, for both information and enjoyment.
· Acquire a broad and rich vocabulary.
· Develop an understanding of grammar and linguistic conventions for the spoken and written word.
· Appreciate our substantial and varied literary heritage.
· Use discussion in order to learn; to ask and respond to appropriate questions and also share their own understanding and ideas through clear explanations.
Ultimately, we want our children to
R.E.A.D. - Read, Enjoy And Discover!
Word reading and language comprehension require different sorts of teaching. The purpose of our guided reading sessions is to develop children’s ability to consider the meaning of what they are reading.
Children in Year 1 take part in weekly guided reading sessions, where they work on developing reading and comprehension skills such as inference and deduction. This happens in small phonic phase groups, using texts that closely match the children's phonic ability. From Year 2 onwards, a whole-class guided reading approach is adopted using a range of texts across different genres to develop language and comprehension skills.
Whole-class reading sessions allow children across all reading attainment levels to be immersed in the same high-quality literature and the high-value, language-rich discussions that these texts promote. These sessions focus on developing children’s ability to understand, infer, predict, analyse and explain, interpret, empathise and so much more. We believe these sessions also enable the children to be reading role models for one another as they share viewpoint and interpretation openly in class.
Throughout school, children's reading books are carefully matched to their reading fluency, accuracy and understanding. In EYFS and KS1, reading is taught using Essential Letters and Sounds (ELS), a Systematic Synthetic Phonics scheme from Oxford University Press. Through a partnership between home and school, children's early reading development can be supported using a variety of reading scheme publications offering texts inline with our ELS phonic teaching.
Once fluency and accuracy becomes automated, children move on to books across a range of genres chosen from an appropriate selection in class. These books are often recently published, real books that challenge reading stamina, reading comprehension and most importantly, aim to develop a love of reading which lasts a life time.
All children across school are encouraged to read as frequently and as widely as possible. After all, if you are not yet a lover of reading, you haven't found your book yet. To help with this, all children have access to text-rich, vibrant class libraries and reading areas which they are encouraged to use regularly. Children can self-select texts across a range of genres to read, explore and recommend.
Teachers have a huge role in promoting a love of books; reading aloud provides a perfect platform for such opportunity. All children should experience carefully selected stories, poems and non-fiction being read aloud to them, with reading skills, fluency and expression being modelled to them by the teacher.
Regular story/book share sessions take place in each class at Torrisholme to promote pleasure and enjoyment of books.
Wondering what to encourage your child to read at home?
Short of book ideas to share together at bedtime or on a wild and stormy day?
In need of a good book to take on your travels?
Well, look no further than the updated Recommended Reads below, courtesy of TheReaderTeacher.com for all the best in available texts for each year group! A selection of quality texts, from the familiar to the new, compiled in one handy reference list to help you and your child enjoy all the wonders that reading offers.
Grab a book, get cosy and comfy and enjoy!