As a school, we have evaluated the gaps in learning in Reading, due to lockdowns and COVID.

These gaps have been identified and are already being covered in the following terms and revisited often throughout the year’s curriculum, therefore ensuring that all the necessary components are in place for future learning.

In Reading, we regularly carry out benchmark assessments and children are given a personalised next step for them to work on with their teacher, either during our daily guided reading sessions or during a fortnightly one to one reading session. Children provide written responses in their reading lessons each day and this is also used to identify and fill gaps that have been identified.

Curriculum: Reading

BBC Radio Wiltshire Interviews

Listen here to Mrs Mepstead and Miss Bees talk on BBC Radio Wiltshire about our Reading focus, the importance of vocabulary and our Library Bus. Listen here to our children talk on BBC Radio Wiltshire about their love of reading, the importance of reading and developing vocabulary.

How we teach Reading at Lainesmead

Phonics

Children at Lainesmead are taught in Early Years and Key Stage One to decode words through applying their phonic skills as well as recognising words by sight. Phonics is taught using the DfE validated scheme the 'Song of Sounds,' with the Assistant Head teacher for Teaching and Learning carefully mapping out the progression of phonics throughout the school. Furthermore, the reading scheme used by the school is Collins 'Letters and Sounds' which complements the Song of Sounds and matches the sounds being learnt in class. We also supplement this with Collins Big Cat books across the school which has a mixture of fully phonically decodable books as well as books for children to read using common exception words learnt and phonics. 

At Lainesmead, we use a whole book as the basis for our reading and English lessons. Each book is carefully selected to take into account the class topic and the age and appropriateness for the children. Opportunities are planned for children to deepen their knowledge of these texts through a range of activities designed to provide children with appropriate and effective vocabulary. As part of each lesson, children will either read aloud to the class, read silently or listen to the teacher read. Children will be engaged during this time and will often be given a task to do to ensure that will enhance learning. A discussion led by the teacher will take place about the text and children will be asked to complete a written task at the end of each lesson. Teachers will also read with children individually at least once and fortnight and this will be recorded in reading logs. At the end of every day, every teacher across the school will read to the children from their class book.

In the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception) children are given opportunities to:

• Listen to the teacher read at least once a day.
• Enjoy a range of stories and rhymes
• Join in with repeating words/phrases and learn some familiar stories/rhymes by heart.
• Change words to create their own stories and rhymes.
• Read to the teacher or TA once a week.
• Take part in daily phonics lessons.
• Read both inside and outside the classroom in a range of contexts.

In Key Stage 1, Reading lessons are held on a daily basis and last for approximately 30 minutes. In Key Stage 2, Reading lessons will last 45 minutes. Each lesson will follow a routine:

• Introduction of reading skill. This is taught through the visual stimulus of the reading monsters which are displayed and referred to throughout the lesson.
• Vocabulary will be explicitly referred to and explored.
• The text read either through children reading silently, aloud to the class or listening to the teacher read the text. If the teacher is reading, the children will often have a text marking task to complete.
• Zooming in – this is where a skill is taught if appropriate and the text is discussed in detail (referring back to the skill being focussed on during the lesson through the use of the monsters.)
• Children will complete a written task at the end of the lesson, given them the opportunity to show their understanding of the text and apply the skill being taught independently.

We are incredibly lucky to have a large group of wonderful reading volunteers, who regularly come into school to read with children. We also have peer coaching in place, where children support each other with their reading. We have a specialist reading teacher in school, who supports children to become confident readers. She also supports parents to help their children with reading at home.