Reading is at the heart of all we do.
Being able to read enables children to acquire the knowledge they need in order to succeed in life. This means building strong foundations from the very first day of school that will make a real difference to a child’s future.
The ability to read opens doors and gives children access to a wealth of knowledge. It is therefore crucial that early reading is seen as an absolute priority. Unless children can read, they can’t learn to the full. It has been proved that Reading for Pleasure leads to increased attainment and better outcomes for children in ALL areas. We will therefore be dedicating time every day to "Drop Everything and Read" (DEAR) to foster this love of books and reading. The children will read and the teachers will read to the children.
In EYFS and Key Stage 1, reading will be taught using PHONICS through the "Essential Letters and Sounds" programme of study. The children will learn how the 26 letters of the alphabet combine in different ways to make up the 44 sounds we hear in our reading. Regular assessments will be carried out as they progress through the phonics "Phases", to ensure that any child who falls behind catches up quickly.
As the children become more and more expert at decoding words, we will teach them to explain what those words mean when put together in a piece of text. Our daily reading teaching will be planned using the philosophy of "ERIC":
EXPLAIN - RETRIEVE- INTERPRET- CHOICE
Using these strands of enquiry, the children will learn to use technical language to answer - both orally and in writing - questions about an author's technique. They will also be able to articulate how they feel about a text and to predict what might happen next.
We are all really excited about our new reading curriculum and look forward to seeing how our reading children become learning children in all areas of the the wider broad curriculum of Foundation Subjects. You will see, when you visit our school, that reading is a focus in all classrooms. You will also see the smiles on the faces of children who love to read.
Reading Progression at Hardwicke