Reading
Our aims
At Scotton Lingerfield Primary School, we want children to enjoy reading and see themselves as readers. We teach them to read accurately and fluently, understand what they read and develop their own interests and preferences.
Books give children opportunities to explore unfamiliar places, encounter different perspectives and deepen their knowledge of the world. Our curriculum introduces a broad range of stories, poetry, plays and non-fiction, including texts from different cultures and traditions.
We develop word reading and comprehension together. Children need secure decoding skills to read independently, alongside the vocabulary and understanding to make sense of a text.
How we teach reading
Early reading is taught through Little Wandle phonics and closely matched reading practice. In Reception and Year 1, children take part in three adult-led reading-practice sessions each week, focusing on decoding, expression and comprehension. Year 1 children also join shared class reading and discussion.
As children become more fluent, teaching builds their ability to explore meaning, discuss ideas and respond thoughtfully to increasingly demanding texts.
In Years 2–6, our programme includes three whole-class guided reading lessons each week, alongside two further sessions centred on shared texts, class novels and discussion. Children who still need phonics and decodable reading practice continue to receive this support. Teachers draw on resources including Literacy Shed Comprehension Plus and, in Key Stage 2, Ashley Booth.
Teaching develops six connected areas of understanding: vocabulary, inference, prediction, explanation, retrieval, and sequencing or summarising. Children learn to explain unfamiliar words, find information, read between the lines and support their ideas with evidence. These skills are taught through discussion and close attention to the text.
Teachers read aloud to children every day. This gives all children access to rich language and stories, including books beyond those they can yet read independently. Text choices broaden children’s experiences, introduce different perspectives and help challenge stereotypes.
Poetry is included every half term, with opportunities to enjoy language, learn poems and read aloud expressively. Text choices also make connections with seasons, significant events, cultural celebrations and wider learning.
Reading is developed across the curriculum, with opportunities to use books and other texts to research, build knowledge and explore subject-specific vocabulary.
Building skills across ages and stages
In Reception, children listen to and join in with stories, rhymes, poems and songs. Repeated encounters with familiar texts help them learn vocabulary, anticipate events and retell stories in their own words. They talk about characters, settings and feelings, while phonics teaching enables them to begin reading words and simple sentences independently.
In Years 1 and 2, children strengthen their decoding and develop increasingly fluent word reading. They listen to texts beyond those they can yet read independently, extending their vocabulary and understanding. Children discuss events, sequence stories, make predictions and begin to infer meaning from what characters say and do. They learn to notice when something does not make sense and reread to check their understanding.
In Years 3 and 4, children read a wider range of texts and use their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes to understand unfamiliar vocabulary. They retrieve and record information, identify main ideas and summarise across paragraphs. Discussion develops their ability to explain characters’ feelings and motives, justify ideas with evidence and consider how an author’s language and organisation help communicate meaning.
In Years 5 and 6, children encounter increasingly complex texts and make comparisons within and between books. They explore themes, evaluate authors’ language choices and distinguish between fact and opinion. They draw together information from different parts of a text, explain their interpretations and respond to alternative views. Children also recommend books to others, giving reasons for their preferences.
Developing confident, independent readers
Teachers use children’s reading, responses and discussion to identify what they understand and where further teaching is needed. In Years 2–6, termly assessments of fluency and comprehension provide further information to guide teaching and support. Children who need additional help with decoding or fluency continue to receive targeted practice so that difficulties with word reading do not prevent them from accessing the wider curriculum.
Independent reading and home reading help children develop their interests and practise regularly. Classroom libraries offer books for children to choose and enjoy, alongside reading material matched to their current reading development.
We value the role of parents and carers and support families in helping children read at home. Sharing books, talking about stories and practising familiar reading all contribute to children’s confidence and enjoyment.
Alongside explicitly teaching reading skills, we make time to enjoy books together. By the end of Year 6, we want children to read with confidence and understanding, choose books for themselves and recognise the pleasure and possibilities that reading offers.
