Reading Overview
Reading at Queensbridge
“Let us remember, one book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world”
Malala Yousafzai
At Queensbridge, teaching children to read is at the heart of our curriculum. From the very start, we expose our children to a range of quality texts, by a variety of different authors, across the curriculum.
Phonics
In EYFS and KS1, phonics is taught using the Phonics Bug scheme. Children learn the 44 common sounds (phonemes) and how they are written (graphemes) in the English Language. Children are taught how to segment, blend and decode (read) words.
Children are taught in groups according to their phonic stage of development. Children’s progress in phonics is assessed at the end of every term by the class teacher and children are regrouped accordingly.
Pupils read the ‘Phonics Bug’ decodable books as part of their weekly phonics sessions. They will also read 1:1 on a weekly basis using the decodable ‘Phonics Bug’ books. They are colour banded and fully decodable to match the phonics phase they are currently working at. Children in need of additional support will have further opportunities to read with an adult as well as a Y6 reading buddy. Children in KS1 will take home one of these reading books.
Fluency
Fluency is the ability to read with few errors at an appropriate speed with intonation and expression. We use a range of strategies to teach children how to read fluently, including through good modelling and repeated practice. Being able to read fluently is the key to comprehension. Reading comprehension is the ability to read text, process it and understand its meaning.
Comprehension
Reading comprehension is taught using a range of texts including novels, short stories, non-fiction and poetry. This includes cross-curricular and good quality, age appropriate texts. Children engage in many opportunities to respond to the texts that they read through discussion, book talk and written answers.
Home Reading
When children begin school we encourage families to share books with their child every night. Each child is given a reading book and a home/school reading diary in which a family member can record the date, page numbers and any comment about reading at home. We also encourage children to read books from home or the local library. This can also be recorded in the reading diary. We love to see what they read at home! Children who practice their reading regularly at home will be entered into a class raffle at the end of each half term to win a book prize.
Reading for Pleasure
At Queensbridge Primary School we encourage pupils to develop a love of reading before they start school by borrowing books when they begin in Nursery. We encourage nursery pupils to enjoy these books with their families. This continues throughout school with a weekly timetabled slot to visit our library.
The library is open every lunch time for pupils to share a book with their friends.
Class 10 Books
To promote quality texts and authors, each class has 10 special books that children read across the year. Some of these books are teaching texts and some are to read for pleasure. There are fiction, non- fiction and poetry books by authors from different backgrounds as well as picture books throughout school. They can be found on display in each reading corner.