Reading at Inspire
Intent
At Inspire Academy, we have a clear, consistent approach to the teaching of reading. We recognise that competence in reading is the key to independent learning and it is therefore given the highest priority, enabling all children to become enthusiastic, independent and reflective readers. Success in reading has an impact on all areas of the curriculum and is crucial in developing children’s self-confidence and motivation. We want the children to read for pleasure, having had access to a wide range of text types, genres and authors throughout their time with us, in order for them to make informed opinions about their favourite texts and authors.
Rationale
If children are to develop as competent, fluent readers it is essential that they have a secure understanding of grapheme-phoneme correspondence to blend phonemes into spoken words and segment spoken words into phonemes. Such skills are essential to developing competent and assertive readers. At Inspire, we follow the systematic approach of ‘First Class Phonics’. Pupils will learn the initial letter sounds and their matching graphemes as they progress from Nursery to Reception. They are explicitly taught the skill of segmenting and oral blending, which is vital for the initial stages of early reading. This consistent and rigorous approach will provide our children with the foundations to become enthused readers with a passion for storytelling, literature and vocabulary.
Reading is a key life skill and we strive to embed a culture of reading into the core of what we do. One area is through the teaching of comprehension skills through whole class guided reading in Years 2-6 and a reading carousel in EYFS and Year 1. We also provide opportunities for the children to read both independently to themselves and aloud to an adult as well as their peers. The children are also able to visit the library and take a book of their choosing home each week. This gives them the chance to discuss and recommend books that they have read to their peers. Each day, the children have opportunities to read for pleasure and every year group has a class novel to share during the school day.
Class Texts
Every class throughout school has a class text to read. Text titles are shared in advance with parents so that they are able to purchase the books for their child to read along. Classrooms promote the termly/half termly text on a display within the classroom.
Classroom Reading Areas
All classrooms in EYFS, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 have a reading corner to promote reading. Children have access to a variety of books which they can read by choice including a selection of genres and authors, and cover a wide range of potential areas of interest. We are continually updating our reading corners and updating the texts available to the children.
Reading for Pleasure
Each week, every class from Nursery to Year 6 have the opportunity to visit the school library and choose their own reading book to take home.
We are also in the process of developing outdoor reading areas throughout school so that the children can sit down and enjoy a book during lunch and break times. Inspire have recently purchased a book vending machine too! The children can win raffle tickets through showing their love of reading. Each term, every class selects two lucky winners from the raffle. These children get to go and choose a book to keep forever from our book vending machine.
Guidance for Parents
We offer guidance and support for parents to help their children with reading. This includes:
- At the start of each academic year, we have ‘Meet the Teacher’ meetings where the expectations for reading are shared. Resources are provided including useful question Stems during initial parent consultations
- Reception Phonics Meetings – helping parents to understand how we teach the children to learn to read in school
- Year One Phonics Meetings – Parents are invited to come and learn about how we teach phonics and the requirements of the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check
- Years Two and Six have parent meetings regarding the requirements in terms of reading for the end of key stage SATs. We also purchase and provide revision guides from CGP
- Our home school reading records include sound mats to help support the children at home
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