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"If you read, the world is yours!" Michael Rosen

 

At The Grange, we recognise that the ability to read independently is one of the most important skills that we can teach our children from the very earliest age. It allows access to all other areas of the curriculum and is a vital life skill. The most effective way of teaching young children to read is through a structured phonics programme. Therefore, in order for our children to read any kind of text fluently and confidently, and to read for enjoyment, the systematic teaching of reading through phonics is vital. Phonics is also important in teaching children to spell. At The Grange, we want our children to become confident and fluent in spelling decodable words and high frequency words appropriate to their age. We also want our children to use ambitious vocabulary in their writing and not let spelling be a barrier to this.

Progression in Reading

Oxford Reading Tree texts are levelled from 1 -20. It facilitates rigorous synthetic phonics teaching, giving children a secure first step on their reading journey

Within school there is a comprehensive range of books that provide a rich and varied choice of writing styles, genres and artwork styles at every level. The scheme is underpinned by Oxford Primary English Assessment so that we are able to assess and ensure the progress of every child.

 

Our Reading Culture

Nothing is more important in education than ensuring that every child can read well. Pupils who can read are overwhelmingly more likely to succeed at school, achieve good qualifications, and subsequently enjoy a fulfilling and rewarding career. Those who cannot will find themselves at constant disadvantage.

Reading for Pleasure and Teaching and Learning must be at the heart of the Reading Curriculum so that our children can talk, think and read for meaning and write for meaning.

It is the moral duty of teachers and parents to promote reading as one’s life depends on being able to read as it promotes;

• Critical Thinking

• Empathy

• Personal Reflection

• Imagination

 

Reading at The Grange must be for:

• Meaning

• Knowledge

• Connections

• Wisdom

 

Our school aims to:

• Provide all children with the skills and strategies to read with confidence, fluency and understanding.

• Provide all children with phonological understanding to read words accurately.

• Establish a love of books where children choose to read for pleasure.

• Inspire an interest in words and what they mean to enable children to develop an increasing oral and written vocabulary.

• Ensure all children read widely and experience a range of genres in fiction, non-fiction and poetry, and are able to discuss some of the ways in which narratives are constructed.

• Develop critical appreciation of what they read.

• Develop study skills so that the children can select appropriate fiction and non-fiction books from the library.

• Develop research skills, using library and class texts, in conjunction with the computing system.

• Analyse individual reading styles and needs and support these with appropriate teaching and learning strategies e.g., a phonic approach doesn’t work for all early readers and alternative reading methods are needed.

•  Encourage care and ownership of books.

• Engage with parents/carers to support the above.

Our ultimate aim is for our children to become confident and independent readers with high levels of enjoyment, understanding and comprehension. To promote enjoyment of reading, we aim to provide the children with a variety of stimuli, including:

• An annual book week;

• Theatre visits to promote pupil enjoyment of reading.

• Creative approaches. For example, The Gruffalo – Wendover Woods:

• A stimulating reading environment in school shared areas like the school mini libraries and and within class areas;

• Reading in our extensive school grounds. For example, creating an outdoor reading trail /zone in our Forest School;

• Reading ambassadors

• Regular reading opportunities with parents. For example, reading workshops, Come to School with your Child Morning;

• Ensuring a comprehensive and stimulating stock of reading material for children both in school and via e-books. For example, ORT books, RWInc Books and e-books and within the school library.

• Access to the mini school libraries;

• Reading Challenges in school and in conjunction with Banbury Library, such as the holiday challenges;

• Resources on the school website to promote reading. For example, reading lists and booklets from the ‘Book Trust’.

• Our CBG awards giving each child a reading book at 150 CBGs.

Specifically, we intend for our pupils to develop the two dimensions of reading:

• Word reading

• Comprehension (both listening and reading)

Speedy word reading is underpinned by phonological knowledge and the understanding that letters on the page represent the sounds in spoken words. Good comprehension follows on from the development of word recognition and linguistic knowledge (particularly vocabulary and grammar).

English and guided reading sessions provide the structure, which enables reading to be explicitly taught. The role of the teacher is:

• To foster a love of reading as an enjoyable, stimulating and worthwhile activity;

• To follow the school’s English policies with the aim of helping pupils to become independent readers;

• To ensure that children read books of an appropriate level of challenge;

• To provide regular opportunities for children to read for pleasure;

• To promote regular use of the school library;

• To model the value and enjoyment of reading through whole class reading of a shared text;

• To model the act of reading through shared reading;

• To provide focused support through guided reading;

• To assess the pupil’s progress as a reader and provide explicit guidance for their development;

•To create a supportive environment for reading;

• To encourage children to read regularly at home and connect with parents/carers in multiple ways in order to support home learning.

• To display, promote and provide a range of varied reading material in classroom book corners. These are rotated on a regular basis from the school library.

Reading for pleasure’ library allows children to follow their interest whilst being provided with challenging, diverse and aspirational texts.​​

We believe that by working together we can create the right environment at home
and at school for all pupils; allowing them to develop in a way and at a pace appropriate to their individual needs. This will ultimately lead to them feeling supported, encouraged and valued by us and you.

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