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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.
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:
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
EYFS
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Handra’s Surprise by Eileen Browne
Mr Grumpy’s Outing by John Burningham
Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins
Six Dinner Sid by Inga Moore
Mrs Armitage by Quentin Blake
Whatever Next by Jill Murphy
On the Way Home by Jill Murphy
Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise
Shhh! by Sally Grindley
Year 1
Peace at Last by Jill Murphy
Can’t you Sleep Little Bear? by Martin Waddell
Where the Wild Things Are? by Maurice Sendak
The Elephant and the Bad Baby by Elfrida Vipont and Raymond Briggs
Avocado Baby by John Burningham
The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr
Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers
Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
Beegu by Alexis Deacon
Dogger by Shirley Hughes
Cops and Robbers by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Elmer by Davis McKee
Year 2
Traction Man is Here by Mini Grey
Meerkat Mail by Emily Gravett
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Book? by Lauren Child
Dr Xargle’s Book of Earthlets by Tony Ross
Not Now Bernard by David McKee
Tuesday by David Wiesner
The Flower by John Light
Gorilla by Anthony Browne
Emily Brown and The Thing by Cressida Cowell
Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel
The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson
The Giraffe, The Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl
Fantastic mr Fox by Roald Dahl
The Hodgeheg by Dick King-Smith
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
Willa and Old Miss Annie by Berlie Doherty
Year 3
The Iron Man by Ted Hughes
Cat Tales: Ice Cat by Linda Newberry
The Sheep Pig by Dick King-Smith
The Abominables by Eva Ibbotson
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis
The Battle of Bubble and Squeak by Philippa Pearce
Hansel and Gretel by Anthony Browne
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
When supporting your child, the aim is to make reading an enjoyable experience. Consistency is essential if progress is to be made. Try to:
Learning to read is like trying to crack a code. Children should be encouraged to look for different clues to help them understand what they are reading. Learning individual words is important but they are really aiming to work out the whole message.
When you hear your child read, let them hold the book. Encourage them to use the following strategies to solve words:
It is important not to confuse your child so concentrate on developing a few skills at a time.
REMEMBER to give lots of PRAISE, and be specific!!!
“Well done, you had a go on your own.”
“Good try, but did that make sense?”
“I like how you read that bit again to check it.”
“Well done for using your sounds”
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