Reading & Phonics Info

November 25 2019

Paula Osborn

Reading

“Reading for pleasure is more important for children’s cognitive development than their parents’ level of education and is a more powerful factor in life achievement than socio-economic background”

(Sullivan & Brown, 2013)

“The more you read, the more things you will know. the more you learn, the more places you will go”

(Dr Seuss)

At Broadfield Academy, we see reading as an integral part of the school curriculum that impacts on all learning. We value the importance of being a confident reader and work hard to develop children’s reading skills. We try to encourage a love for reading by integrating reading into cross-curricular topics.

Reading is taught in a variety of ways:

One-to-one reading with an adult
Shared reading
Guided reading
Independent reading

The children are encouraged to decode words and read fluently and with expression.

During Reading lessons, children are encouraged to discuss, pose questions, analyse texts, give reasons and develop their vocabulary. The children are encouraged to use phonics for blending as the main strategy for decoding unknown words.

In each classroom, there is a book corner, which contains books of interest to the children and the topics they are studying. There is a school library, which contains a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction books. Our aim is that the children should be able to read these books with at least 95% accuracy. This means children can enjoy reading without frustration and read with pleasure!

Independent Reading Books

Our main reading scheme is Bug Club. We supplement this with Oxford Reading Tree, Rigby Star and Song Birds. All of these books are banded according to ability levels. Children change their independent reading books regularly and these are carefully matched to their ability. Teachers carefully monitor the changing of books to ensure they are on track and can enjoy their book independently.

Early Reading

At Broadfield Academy, is is our mission to ensure Reading is at the centre of learning at home and at school. We are determined that every child will be given the best possible opportunity to learn to read, regardless of their background, needs or abilities. We begin this journey in Early Years and introduce our pupils to a wide range of stories, poems, rhymes and non-fiction texts. In Early Years, we begin the sequential learning of Reading which follow children through to Year 6 and beyond, preparing them for their future school career and life.

Becoming a Fluent Reader in Early Years

At Broadfield Academy, systematic synthetic Phonics is taught. Throughout Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, Letters and Sounds in conjunction with Phonics Play and Bug Club Phonics is used to teach Phonics. When needed, the Letters and Sounds Phase 1 is followed in Nursery to promote the appropriate speaking and listening skills. In order to ensure Phonics is accessed by all children, kinaesthetic and multi-sensory strategies are used to engage learners, e.g. song, sensory, rhyme and formation. Our Phonics programme matches the expectations set by the National Curriculum.

The Environment

The indoor and outdoor provision caters for all areas of learning and within these. Reading is promoted. Opportunities for Phonics and Reading development are readily available, e.g. topic books linked to the activity, sensory writing, literacy resources and engaging and interactive displays. Each classroom is rich with texts to promote a genuine interest in Reading.

Developing a Love for Reading in Early Years

In Early Years at Broadfield, we develop enjoyment for Reading and promote this in the following way:

Reading Cafe:

An opportunity for parents to join us in the morning to listen to and share stories.

Book Fair:

We have a Book fair every year and children are exposed to new books and are able to purchase them.

Read with Me – Parent Volunteers:

Parents are invited into the classroom to read with / listen to children read.

Book Corners:

A cosey book corner space is in every classroom for children to use and read comfortably in.

Library:

A dedicated library is available in both KS1 and KS2 for children to engage in books and for teachers to promote Reading in a suitable environment.

Meetings with Parents:

Parents can make an appointment to discuss their child’s development at anytime in addition to formal parent consultations.

Phonics

Letters and Sounds, a DfE publication, is our main resource for teaching Phonics. We use this in conjunction with an online resources called, Phonics Play and Bug Club Phonics.

Phonics is taught in a daily discrete lesson of 20 minute sessions, with each lesson split into 4 parts:

revisit / revise (previous learning)
teach (new GPC or tricky word)
practise (differentiated activity)
apply (read or write sentences or text)

Children are taught in class groups. In Year 2, children who did not meet the standard in the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check have extra Phonics interventions.