READING AND PHONICS

Reading at Chattenden

At Chattenden we believe that reading is a life-long skill. Children leave or school able to discuss with confidence a range of books and enjoy regularly reading for pleasure.

Our readers are equipped with the tools to tackle unfamiliar vocabulary and material. They are able to recommend books to their peers and enjoy reading a wide range of genres, including non-fiction. Children enjoy participating in book talk, including evaluating an author’s use of language and how this can affect the reader.

Why reading is important

At Chattenden we believe reading underpins success across all aspects of the curriculum. Through developing oracy and book talk alongside the basic skills of decoding, children’s language acquisition effectively develops alongside their reading attainment. Through accessing carefully selected, rich texts that are both read and read aloud; our children have multiple exposures to vocabulary.

Every child at Chattenden will have...·      

• Lessons dedicated to the teaching of reading through strategies such as inference, making connections and retrieval.
• Scaffolded book talk, modelling the application of reading strategies.
• A close up of new vocabulary to build children’s language.
• Access to an inviting, purposeful book corner.
• Regular opportunities to read 1:1 with a teacher, who will give live feedback on progress including next steps.
• Opportunities to capture ideas in a written/ age appropriate comprehension tasks.
• Opportunities to read a wide range of texts that build on cultural capital and compliment themes in our curriculum.
• Opportunities to read for pleasure.

• If needed, some children receive regular phonics interventions to keep up not catch up.
• A book to read that is matched to their ability.

How we teach early reading

• Children have daily phonic sessions which are 30 minutes long.
• The focus in Reception is on reading strategies of fluency, decoding and blending.
• Books selected by the teacher show cumulative progress according to the sounds the child has been taught that half term.
• Books are closely matched to a child’s ability. Children read books which contain sounds they have learnt so they can practise the skills of segmenting and blending .
• Children also have access to electronic books.

Reading for pleasure at Chattenden

Every child at Chattenden will have...

Curriculum

• Dedicated time each day where an adult will read aloud to them
• Opportunities to engage in quality book talk.
• An engaging, clearly labelled, tidy book corner in their classroom with a range of high-quality fiction and non-fiction texts.
• A DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time every week to choose a book and read for pleasure.

Enrichment

• Participation in World Book Week dress up and enrichment events such as author visits and storytelling.
• Weekly reading competitions ‘ Buster’s Book Club’.

Community

• A termly reading opportunity where parents will join their child to read, ‘Parent Read’.
• Parent workshops we model ways to teach reading and phonics.
• Reading certificates to celebrate home reading.

PHONICS

How we teach phonics

• In Reception and Y1, children follow the progression within Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme. Phonics is taught for 30 minutes every day.
• By the end of Reception, children will have been taught up to the end of Phase 3. If they are ready, children may start Phase 4.
• By the end of Year 1, children will have been taught up to the end of Phase 5.
• In Y2, phonic lessons are taught daily to children where appropriate – following the model of Little Wandle but plugging specific gaps identified through assessment.
• In Y2-Y6 there are planned catch-up sessions following a set model to address specific gaps.
• All staff including support staff have regular CPD on the delivery of phonics.

How we assess phonic knowledge:

• In Reception and Year 1, at the end of each week there is a review session which recaps the learning. There are also whole review weeks (pre-planned and bespoke review weeks to address gaps identified by the class teacher’s ongoing formative assessment).
• Children identified in Reception and Y1 as in danger of falling behind are immediately identified and ‘keep up’ sessions are put in place – sessions follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme.
• In Reception and Year 1, the children are assessed at the end of every half term.
• Children from Reception to Yr 2 are monitored by book band level. This is especially helpful for transition to the next class, so rapid progress can continue.
• The children in Y1 sit the Phonics Screening Check in the summer term.
• Children who do not pass the Phonics Screening Check in Y1, will re-sit this in Y2.