Reading at our school

Reading at Flash Ley

At Flash Ley we foster a love for reading from the very start of children's learning. In Nursery we share stories, spend time in the reading corner and enjoy high quality texts throughout the provision. We explore new vocabulary from our books and take part in drama to act out our favourite stories. 

In Reception, we begin learning phonics through our systematic synthetic phonics program 'Little Wandle'. We apply our learning to reading through practise reading sessions and 1:1 reading with adults. We provide home reading books for children to practise at home and a reading section in our home learning books for parental support where we supply Little Wandle practise sheets each week. We foster a love for reading with our use of 'helicopter stories', drama and word of the week. We take part in a  variety of reading activities throughout our daily provision and our weekly focus story ensures we experience a range of high quality texts over the year.

In Key Stage one, we work hard to continue the good start in EYFS with regards to learning to read. Children continue through the Little Wandle phonics program with daily teaching, practise reading sessions and home reading books, closely matched to their ability.  Children requiring further support receive additional sessions with a keep up program in place. 

It is our aim that all children enter Year Two as strong readers. 

We continue our home reading books and children are provided with continuous support through our catch up and keep up programs in both group and 1:1 interventions so no child is left behind. 

In KS1 it is normal for a child to re-read the same book several times until the teacher is confident they fully understand the book. Comprehension is vital at this age and our practise reading sessions focus on not only word reading but comprehension and prosody. 

Once children have reached the National expectation in phonics, they begin a more formal approach to English lessons. This programme of teaching follows on from the pace and passion needed in phonics to continue to make outstanding readers by developing comprehension skills, fostering a love of reading and becoming accomplished writers. Interventions continue with our 7+ reading books for children who need further support. 

The opportunities, organisation and provision for the teaching and learning of reading are as follows:

• Shared reading
• Class reading sessions
• Class comprehension sessions (once a week in KS2)
• Practise reading sessions
• Accelerated Reader from Year 2 to Year 6 with reading rewards
• Independent reading
• Daily reading opportunities for selected pupils
• Synthetic Phonics: Taught daily using Little Wandle
• Links to parents – Each child has a reading record book which logs books they have read and comments about their reading. Parents and teaching staff write in this book.
• Library- Each child has the ability to visit the library on a regular basis to change their book.
• Class books: Stories are read to the children on a regular basis throughout the school.
• Reading at home: Children are encouraged to read at home every day and this is given high priority
• EYFS & KS1 hold a reading session each Friday morning to give parents or carers the opportunity to listen to a story or read a story to their child
• Lending library available in EYFS and KS1
• Reading at break and lunchtimes is encouraged and promoted

Little Wandle - Phonics in our school is taught using Little Wandle. Please support your child with all you need to know on the parent section of Little Wandle.