Reading

Introduction to how we teach reading at Air Balloon Hill Primary

Phonics:

In Reception and Year 1, phonics is taught as a whole class on a daily basis for at least 20 minutes every day. The sequence of lessons follows the progression of the Letters and Sounds. Children are regularly assessed and where needed, supported with their phonics learning through 1:1 interventions.

In Year 2, phase 5 phonics continues to be revisited during daily lessons that focus on reading and spelling Letters and Sounds phase 6 sounds and words.

Summary of Letters and sounds phases and tricky words

Reading Scheme:

Starting in Reception and Year 1, books used in both our guided reading sessions at school and books children take home are decodable and very closely matched to a child’s current phonics knowledge so that every child can experience real success in their reading. Children’s progress with their reading can be tracked through the phonics phases they are reading. When reading at home these books are ideal for a child to read independently to their adult. To further promote a love of reading, children also take a ‘Shared Reader Book’ home. This book is to read together with your child.

Once children progress beyond decodable texts, they move onto our book scheme so that they can continue to progress in their decoding, fluency and comprehension skills.

Reading Scheme Progession

As well as books being regularly sent home, children can also access appropriately levelled books on our online reading system BugClub.

For information about how to access Bug Club, please click here:  Bug club letter to parents

To access Bug Club, please visit the Bug Club website and log in with the details sent to you by your class teacher.  If you have any problems, please email the school – airballoonhillp@bristol-schools.uk

Supporting Reading at Home

We would appreciate your continued support by reading at home with your child at least 3 x a week

When supporting your child, the aim is to make reading an enjoyable experience. Consistency is essential if progress is to be made. Try to:

• Practice regularly
• Set aside a specific time for reading
• Read for between 5 and 10 minutes
• Use a comfortable and quiet area
• Make it fun and interesting
• Be encouraging – there is no need to correct every mistake if it still makes sense.

Remember that reading is a complex skill. Decoding, fluency, retrieval, vocabulary and inference all contribute to deepening your child’s understanding of what they are reading. For more information about these skills please see below. Here are some ideas to further promote some of these skills whilst reading at home:

To practise your child’s fluency you could reread a book or section of a text. You could also model a section of the text with good expression and get your child to copy you.

To develop your child’s vocabulary you could bring their attention to repetitive and/or interesting letter and sound/ spelling patterns and discuss the meanings of words- discussing associated words and synonyms.

To explore inference when reading you could ask your child about what a character might be thinking or feeling or what is going to happen next in a story. Make sure to ask them to explain their answers using clues from the text.

Teaching Reading:

Reception – As well as the daily teaching of phonics, children will have a weekly 1:1 and guided reading session with their teachers.

Year 1 – As well as the daily teaching of phonics, at the beginning of the academic year children will have a weekly 1:1 and guided reading session with their teachers. Towards the end of the academic year, Year 1 will also start Whole Class Reading lessons.

Year 2-6 – Whole Class Reading is taught daily for at least 30 minutes. Teachers provide the children with a variety of challenging text extracts from books and teach them how to appreciate and understand these texts by focusing on the following skills:

We are using different breeds of dogs as a simple metaphor to describe the different skills needed to really comprehend what children are reading. Ask your children about them!

Teachers will be constantly assessing the needs of their class and where necessary teachers integrate phonics into these sessions to further support children’s next steps and make the texts accessible for all. If your child needs extra support such as 1:1 reading this will also be identified and carried out.

Teachers also promote reading for pleasure by visiting the library, sharing class books using ‘The Reading Spine’ and allowing quiet, individual reading to take place.

Story Telling

At Air Balloon we believe that story telling should be at the heart of our English curriculum. Therefore, each year group has a core of key books called ‘The Reading Spine’, which all the children will experience. These collections have been based on recommendations made by Pie Corbett, pioneer in the teaching of literacy and then added to based on children and teacher recommendations.

The aim is for every child to experience the pleasure and challenge of great literature. As well as the class teacher regularly reading and discussing the books, the library will also stock multiple copies which children can borrow.

Here is the list of the recommended books for each year group. Perhaps some of you will recognise them from your own school days!

Miss Giles – Reading Leader

Year 4

Bill’s New Frock by Anne Fine

Charlotte’s Web by EB White

Why the Whales Came by Michael Morpurgo

The Firework-Maker’s Daughter by Phillip Pullman

The Snow Walker’s Son by Catherine Fisher

Perry Angel’s Suitcase by Glenda Millard

Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne

Year 5

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Allen

Varjak Paw by SF Said

Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver

Street Child by Berlie Doherty

The Midnight Fox by Betsy Byars

Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce

FArTHER by Grahame Baker-Smith

Year 6

Holes by Louis Sachar

Clockwork by Philip Pullman

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein

Skellig by David Almond

Fireweed by Jill Paton Walsh

River Boy by Tim Bowler

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

More Tips

For more help and tips on supporting your child to read at home, we would recommend reading this article on the BBC website: BBC Bitesize – Top Tips to support reading