Intent

Reading and books are at the very centre of our curriculum here at Littlecoates Primary Academy, as we recognise that the teaching of reading is fundamental to children’s understanding and appreciation of the world around them; a platform that allows our children to see beyond what they know, share in cultural experiences and develop the vocabulary they need to effectively express themselves. We are committed to promoting a love for reading, not just in our English lessons but in the wider curriculum too.

Reading is delivered through systematic synthetic phonics (RWI), whole class and guided reading, home reading and reading across the curriculum. Following on from our phonics teaching for decoding in EYFS and KS1, skills and strategies for comprehension are explicitly taught to all children to equip them with the tools needed for understanding a broad range of texts.  We ensure that regular opportunities for independent reading, reading aloud, shared reading and being read to in daily story sessions, are built into our school day. All of our teachers are advocates for reading, nurturing a reading for pleasure culture.

Children will leave Littlecoates as fluent, confident readers who willingly participate in discussions about books and make recommendations to their peers, have a thirst for reading a wide range of high-quality texts across the genres and have an established love of reading and learning for life.

Reading with your child at home

Hearing your child read at home is an important part of learning to read for every child. It is also an enjoyable activity that gives you and your child quality time together. All children will bring home a reading for pleasure book to share with an adult each week alongside their RWI phonics book (KS1) Your child has chosen a book based on their own interests- it may be too difficult for them to read which is why it is a book to be shared for pleasure. 

Here are some top tips to make this a positive experience for you both.

• Set aside a quiet ten to fifteen minutes with no distractions.
• Turn off the TV.
• Make reading fun and enjoyable.
• Sit with your child. If they lose interest, stop and make time later.
• Don’t correct every mistake your child makes. Instead give them time to self-correct.
• Say ‘Let’s read that together,’ instead of ‘That’s wrong!’ Tell them unknown words and let them repeat them to you.
• Praise you child often. It boosts their confidence.
• Choose a book that your child can read mostly accurately. This will make them feel like a successful reader and will encourage them to read more.
• Read a variety of books and reading materials with your child. Besides their reading (story) book read picture books, comics, magazines, poems and information books with them too.
• Communicate with the class teacher via their homework book, reading diary or home/school contact book. Tell us good things and any concerns.

If you click the link you will find 7 tips to make reading aloud magical : 

7 steps to make reading aloud magical