Teaching Of Reading
Early Reading
Phonics is given high priority at Swalwell Primary School, with daily sessions in Early Years and Key Stage 1. Children in Nursery take part in activities which develop their listening, attention and speaking skills, following Phase 1 of the Little Wandle Foundations for Phonics programme. These activities help children develop an awareness of sounds and prepare them for learning to read.
We follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised systematic synthetic phonics programme. This is taught daily in Reception and Key Stage 1, ensuring that all children learn to read using a consistent, structured approach. Children are taught new phonemes and graphemes in a clearly sequenced progression and are encouraged to apply their phonics knowledge through reading and writing activities.
Children are regularly assessed to ensure they are keeping up with the programme, and any children who require additional support receive targeted interventions to help them become confident, fluent readers. Decodable reading books are carefully matched to the phonics knowledge children have been taught, enabling them to practise and consolidate their learning at home and school.
Parents are encouraged to support their child's phonics learning at home. For more information about our phonics programme, please see the presentation attached, visit the Little Wandle website at www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk, or attend one of our family phonics sessions. Our most recent parent phonics workshop was held on 30th September, if you were unable to attend you can view the presentation and the handouts below.
Supporting Reading at Home
Virtual Library
Click on the link below to access our very own virtual library.
Reading Incentives - Letter to Parents
At Swalwell Primary School we aim to foster a lifelong love of reading in our pupils. We recognise that reading is the key to unlocking knowledge and ensuring that our children are proficient readers allows them to access the whole curriculum and gives them a key life skill. Adults in our school lead by example, modelling enthusiasm for and engagement with books.
Reading Curriculum
At Swalwell we follow National Curriculum objectives for reading. In Early Years and Key Stage One, our guided reading is closely matched to the phonic skills of our developing readers. Where children are still learning new phonemes and practicing decoding, this is the main objective of guided reading sessions. Texts are carefully chosen to support this. However, even at this early stage, children are exposed to both fiction and non-fiction texts to develop their understanding and enjoyment of reading. In Key Stage 2, whole class differentiated guided reading lessons are planned and delivered which focus on the key skills of reading comprehension. For these sessions a longer quality text will be chosen to be studied over the term. In Years 5 and 6 the pupils have access to Reading plus – an online tailored reading programme. Our staff and volunteers listen to children reading 1:1 on a weekly basis and this forms part of the ongoing assessment. Additionally, all children have the opportunity to visit the school library selecting a book from a wide range of good quality, appealing fiction and non-fiction texts to continue to promote a love of reading.
Reading at Home
At Swalwell we ask for an adult to read with their child at least 3 times a week. Each child has a reading diary which provides a link between home and school and is taken home every day. It is widely recognised regular practice allows children to develop their reading skills as well as enjoying a wide variety of texts and discovering the pleasure and excitement of reading. In EYFS and KS1 your child will bring home 2 books: one will be matched to the phonic code they have been learning, the other will be non-decodable and is intended for you to read with them. In KS2 children select their own home reading book (often with guidance) from within the band they are currently working at. We hold ‘Read and Relax’ sessions throughout the year where you can some and share a story with your child.
Looking for your child’s next favourite read?
Booktrust’s Bookfinder will help you discover the very best children’ books: magical mysteries, astonishing adventures and fantastic non-fiction, please copy and paste the link below
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Our in class 'Swalwell Readopoly' reading incentive was designed with our children to promote engagement in reading alongside our class book spines. Every time a child reads at home they move 1 space around the Readopoly Board displayed in their classroom working towards their next reading milestone. Our Readopoly Scheme is designed to enrich children's exposure to a wealth of high quality texts and promote a love of reading for all.