Reading for Pleasure
At St. Peter’s we aim to instil a love of books within our children that will remain with them for life.
When teaching children to read, staff model the use of a wide range of strategies to support their learning so that they are able to become accurate and fluent readers. This will enable them to read for pleasure and access the full curriculum.
All children at St. Peter’s are encouraged to read wide and often, taking home a rich variety of reading material including books from our fantastic school library. Our Homework Policy clearly states that sharing books, rehearsing phonics and playing word games are all a key part of homework encouraged from an early age. All children are encouraged to read to an adult for 10 to 20 minutes several times a week.
Our early reading books are organised in line with our Systematic Synthetic Phonics Programme, Little Wandle Letters and Sounds. To find out more about the teaching of phonics, click here. Teachers regularly assess the progress a child is making in phonics and match an appropriate book to the child. Because of the teaching in class, when the book is taken home, the child will be able to read this book confidently, needing only occasional help with the odd word.
As the children move into Year 2, the teaching of reading continues through our phonics programme, supplemented by additional reading material. As children become more proficient in their phonics and reading, they will take home books of increasing length and complexity. Books are still chosen that are at an appropriate reading level for the child.
As children move through Years 3, 4, 5 and 6, it is important to build upon the skills outlined previously. Most children in lower Key Stage 2 will be becoming more fluent in their reading. As children become more fluent it is still important to ask them questions about the text they are reading. Whatever a child's age and level of fluency, they all benefit greatly from having the opportunity to read aloud to another adult. At the bottom of the page, you can find out more about phonics and reading at St. Peter's in a handy guide for parents and carers. You can also download the information that is shared in book bags regarding how parents and carers are expected to support and encourage their child's reading development at home.
As a school we work hard on promoting a love of reading in all children and fostering a text rich environment where children understand how language works as well as developing the skills they need to be proficient readers and to interpret texts accurately. Around school, the children benefit from displays which celebrate authors, inspiring reading corners and our well-stocked and vibrant school library. Most recently, families were introduced to the St. Peter's Reading Challenge! Children, parents and staff were asked for their book recommendations in order to create a 40 books you must read list for each class. These books will be shared through class libraries throughout the year. All children should be reading a book that they have chosen for pleasure and should be able to share the reasoning behind why they have chosen that book.
In addition to class reading, throughout the year the importance of reading is enhanced through activities such as: raffle prize winners; World Book Day celebrations; and class links with an author, all of which enables us have a focus on the pleasure of reading. Year 5 and 6 librarian volunteers also run popular book clubs twice a week, organise the library in general and read weekly with EYFS and KS1 at the end of lunchtimes to create a successful reading for pleasure environment. We really do aim to develop in all children a life-long love of reading as a skill for life.
Attachments
Supporting Children with Phonics and Reading Reading Information for Parents in EYFS (Wordless Books) Reading Information for Parents in EYFS and Key Stage 1 (Years R, 1 & 2) Reading Information for parents in Key Stage 2 (Years 3, 4, 5 & 6)
Greenfinch Class (EYFS) Reading Challenge Cuckoo Class (Yr. 1 & 2) Reading Challenge Robin Class (Yr.3 & 4) Reading Challenge Swallow Class (Yr.5 & 6) Reading Challenge
