Phonics & Reading

Reading

Learning to read is the most important thing your child will learn at school, as reading opens the door to learning.

A child who reads a lot will become a good reader. A good reader we will be able to read more challenging material. A child who reads challenging material is a child who will learn. The more a child learns, the more he or she will want to find out.

Our motto here at St Philip’s is.... ‘If you can read, you can do anything!’

We want your child to love reading and to want to read for themselves. This is why we put our efforts into making sure they develop a love of books as well as simply learning to read.

Reading Curriculum

We promote reading in lots of ways:

Home reading: Children read through a set of book banded books. Each colour in the book band is a different level. We do not subscribe to a specific reading scheme. We provide a diet and range of books at different levels within a book band. The children know which book band they are working at and recognise the book band that they are working towards.

It is an expectation that children read their home reading book every night and complete activities in their reading journal.

Whole class reads: Each class has dedicated time to read and enjoy a book together. Some children may choose to follow along whilst others just enjoy listening.

Guided Reading: Teachers deliver targeted sessions to the whole class to challenge the children and develop reading skills together.

Reading for pleasure: We encourage children to read for pleasure. Each class has a class reading area which has a range of books to encourage reading a range of texts – from non-fiction, fiction and poetry. After lunch each day, all children participate in DEAR time (Drop Everything And Read) which gives them the opportunity to choose their own book to enjoy. 

Reading around the curriculum: Reading is a skill that leads to good learning across all aspects of the curriculum and each class ensures there are a range of topic books available to promote topics that are being delivered through the learning challenge curriculum.

Read Write Inc: In the Early Years and Key Stage 1 we deliver a consistent approach to phonics using a programme called ReadWrite Inc. Every child in EYFS and Key Stage 1 works through the programme to help them decode (sound out) words that they read and spell. Reading is linked into understanding what they have read and also links into short writing activities.

Please download the Phonics Guide for Parents to give you more information about Read Write Inc.

Where children may find phonics difficult, staff deliver additional sessions, 1:1 support and also provide children with sight vocabulary interventions such as the 5 minute box. Teachers will always keep you informed if your child is having additional support.

By the end of Key Stage 1, it is expected that all children can decode text in a range of ways including phonics. This is assessed through the Phonic Screening Check and SAT reading test.

If you have any further questions please speak to your child’s class teacher or the Read, Write Inc Coordinator, Miss Davis.