Our Approach to Reading

At Stoneferry Primary, we place a huge emphasis on the importance of reading. We want all children to be confident decoders and fluent readers by the end of KS1 to enable them to access our KS2 curriculum.

Our strive for excellence and love of reading continues throughout KS2 were children are given the opportunities to read more demanding texts and discuss them openly as well as developing a broad vocabulary and continuing to develop their fluency and stamina in reading.

We want all our pupils to leave KS2 being fluent readers (cross a wide range of texts) which enables them to access confidently the secondary curriculum and the broader aspects of everyday life.

Phonics

Progression in phonics skills and knowledge are taught following the “Letters and Sounds” programme using elements of the Phonics Play scheme to ensure a multi-sensory teaching approach.

All children in the EYFS and KS1 receive two 30 minute discrete phonics sessions a day. These sessions take place Monday – Thursday. The children are taught in ability groups across EYFS and KS1. The children’s progress is regularly assessed and they move through the phases at their own pace.

As part of our phonic lessons at Stoneferry Primary, we teach the pronunciation of letters as they are said in words. It is tempting to add an extra ‘uh’ sound when pronouncing letters but this can be misleading for children.

Follow the link at the bottom of this page for some footage of the sounds being spoken correctly. We do appreciate your support with reading at home. This process is greatly enhanced if the methods used are consistent. Thank you for your interest.

Reading
Children who are working through the phonics phases take home a fully decodable book linked to the sounds they are being taught. These books range from pink to orange band and link directly to Letters and Sounds. The school does this through the Rising Stars “Rocket Phonics” series of books.

In addition to creating a love of reading and giving a broader reading experience, we operate a nationally recognised book banding system This incorporates books from the Oxford Reading Tree, Rigby Star, Collins and Rising Stars. The bands allow for growth in progress and periods of consolidation. The children are aware of the book banding system and are very enthusiastic about moving through the colour bands.

The youngest children start exploring lilac reading books which are wordless which help to develop their understanding of how to handle a book, talk about it and introduces them to story language. They then start reading pink books which contain short sentences with commonly used words. The most able children further up the school move through the colours to the red band before becoming a ‘free reader’.

We offer a range of fiction and non-fiction texts across all genres to give our children access to a variety of styles of writing.

As well as being given reading books to take home, all children receive high quality reading opportunities in school through shared, independent, guided and whole-class reading activities. Again, texts in these lessons are closely matched to each child’s reading ability.

Children who require extra support in phonics and reading (for example those who do not achieve the standard of the Phonics Screening Check in Year One) are offered this through small steps planning in the classroom and short intervention sessions delivered by teaching assistants.

Further information for parents