Reading/Phonics
Reading is an essential skill for all children to learn. It provides the basis for children to achieve their potential in all areas of their education, both present and future, as well as for future employment and adult life. Every child is different and children will learn to read at different speeds. We want children to love reading, enriching their lives in many ways, from a growing imagination, eagerness for information and for moments of reflection and tranquillity.
The teaching and pleasure for reading begins from the moment your child enters Nursery and continues throughout their time at Clunbury CE Primary School. It is supported by all the staffs own enjoyment of reading that develops the children’s awareness of the importance of reading. Books and opportunities to read are made throughout the day and exposure to reading occurs in many areas, including Collective Worship, Forest School, outside and classroom based. Every classroom has a reading area, a comfortable place for children to curl up with a good book. From Nursery, children take home books for pleasure and from Reception children take a reading book matched to their phonics level in addition to a book for pleasure.
Clunbury CE Primary School uses the Letters and Sounds programme for progression of phonics. It is supported with a range of phonics resources from other phonic programmes, including Phonics Bug reading books. These books are phonetically decodeable and are matched to the children based on the sounds they have learnt. Phonics teaching is as follows (see our Phonics Progression document for more detail). Phonics continues to be used in KS2 to support new word reading, consolidating and developing reading skills.
A phonics session lasts for around 20 minutes and follows the revisit, teach, practise and apply procedure. It is done daily, usually between 9.30 – 10.00 am, due to the importance it holds for children throughout the day. Please see the attached phonics leaflet for further details and support for parents. Our phonics groups are fluid and through checking children’s phonics knowledge we can ensure children can be placed in the most suitable group to build their phonics knowledge and confidence.
Reception and Year 1 aim to read with your child at least twice a week. KS2 aim to read with your child at least once a week. We ask that all children have their reading book and reading journal in school every day to optimise on opportunities to read.
In the Summer term, the government asks us to do a phonics check of all the Year 1 children, which includes the reading of real words and alien words. We will inform you how well your child has done.
Parents and Home Reading
Reception parents are invited to an Introduction to Phonics meeting at the start of term to learn about phonics and how they can support their child at home. They are given a phonics leaflet offering ideas and resources. We also discuss what resources are sent home, including blending books, sound packs, phonics reading book, reading book record and library books.
Parents are encouraged to read with their children regularly at home and to write in the reading book record to offer insight in how your child is reading at home. We also encourage parents to develop their child’s love of reading through sending library books home to share with their family.
Story Time
In every class, from Nursery to Year 6, children share a story with each other read by a member of staff twice a day. This is an important time of day for children to develop listening skills, understanding, exposure to different genre of books and extend their vocabulary. It is a time to share opinions on the books read, learn about different authors, illustrators and poets as well as an opportunity for staff to talk to the children about their love of reading.
Guided Reading
Guided reading sessions are supported reading groups that develop children’s comprehension and inference skills. They can involve reading a complete fiction or non-fiction book, poetry or a small passage of writing.
In Reception and KS1, we have guided reading sessions at least twice a week, where we focus on developing our phonics skills.
Reading Club
Children of all ages, are welcome to join our daily lunchtime Reading Club run by Mrs Burns and a group of children. This club develops the children’s love of reading and supports the teaching of phonics and reading skills. Stories are shared and various activities surrounding the stories take place, including computer, art, writing and drama based. Older children hear younger children read. Mrs Burns supports development of phonics through phonics games. They recently held a reading challenge to raise money to buy new books for the school. The children raised over £200, with the children independently organising sponsorship for reading the most books or taking part in the most unusual place to read competition.
Paired Reading
Every Friday (and whenever opportunity allows), older children are paired with younger children to listen to each other read and share their books together. This helps to develop reading skills but also a nurturing environment to share each other’s love for reading.
World Book Day and the Big Book Swap
We love to celebrate reading and annually take part in World Book Day, where the children and staff are encouraged to dress as their favourite characters and authors. Throughout the day, children and staff share their favourite stories and do reading based activities. In the afternoon, the children are given the opportunity to take part in the Big Book Swap, where they exchange books they have brought in with books from other children.
Some useful resources/links:
Phonic Bugs
