Intent

At Nansen, we recognise that reading is a vital, lifelong skill. A child’s ability to read is inextricably linked to academic achievement across the whole curriculum, success in social interactions and in future careers.  We value the intrinsic importance of reading for pleasure and this underpins our pedagogy across the Trust. By developing children’s love for reading we can impact not only on academic achievement, but positively influence a child’s self-confidence, health and wellbeing.

We use a carefully selected spine of books to teach a range of reading strategies in a whole-class setting. This presents regular opportunities for paired discussion; small group discussion and whole-class discussion of the book being studied. The spine includes a range of genres across fiction, poetry and non-fiction. During reading lessons, children build their vocabulary, reinforce their understanding of the text through paired discussion, and develop comprehension skills. What they read in their English lessons deepens their understanding of the world around them and inspires creativity and imagination across the curriculum. We look at a diverse range of authors to help the children differentiate between writing styles and begin to give their opinion on what they like to read. By the time every child leaves Nansen Primary, we hope to have instilled a love of reading by creating positive and enthusiastic experiences around books and finding the right books that spark passion and curiosity in our lessons.

We want the children in our school to...

• enjoy reading all genre of books and appreciate the value and worth of reading in everyday life
• read a range of different kinds of reading material fluently and with understanding
• make choices about the sorts of texts that they enjoy
• use reading skills to retrieve information
• use a full range of reading cues (e.g. phonics, grammar and context)
• infer and read ‘between the lines’ and behind the images
• be exposed to literature that is beyond their current experience and fluency
• we use a comprehensive, robust, curriculum-aligned literacy program called Read Write Inc to teach phonics

Reading for Pleasure is promoted in the following ways:

• Reading for Pleasure (RfP) opportunities which are dedicated to promote and embed children’s love of reading through the use of key RfP pedagogies through effective teacher modelling.
• Teachers and librarians who are knowledgeable about children’s literature and share their love of reading with children.
• Leaders, teachers and Reading Ambassadors obtain pupil voice regarding children’s reading preferences and habits to support RfP pedagogies and texts purchased for classroom and school libraries.
• Social reading environments which support a range of reading practices.
• Exposure to a wide range of high-quality children’s literature both to support the teaching of Reading and Writing and for class story time.
• Access to well-stocked classroom and school libraries with a wide range of ‘tempting texts.’

• Termly Book Fairs.
• The celebration of special days/ weeks such as Roald Dahl’s Birthday, World Book Day, National Poetry Day and National Story Telling Week.

Nursery, Reception and Year 1

The National Curriculum Reading Programmes of Study and EYFS Early Learning Goals are taught through our chosen phonics scheme – Read, Write Inc (RWI) - in Nursery, Reception and Year 1. Year 2 children who have not passed the Phonic Screening Check in Year 1 and/or are newly arrived/EAL also participate in the programme.

RWI teaches children to read accurately and fluently and begins to develop comprehension. Children also learn to form letters, spell correctly and compose ideas step by step. Listening to and reciting familiar stories will provide opportunities for encouraging and embedding reading for pleasure. Throughout the school day, children are provided with many opportunities to develop and strengthen their literacy skills. These include:

• Read Write Inc phonics sessions every day in Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1
• They experience success from the very beginning. Lively phonic books are closely matched to their increasing knowledge of phonics and 'tricky' words (red words) and, as children re-read the stories, their fluency increases.
• Guided reading sessions once the children leave the Read Write Inc programme are carefully planned to ensure the reading domains are secure.
• Daily reading sessions with pupil premium children and those identified as the 20% slowest and lowest readers
• A high-quality focus text used in English lessons
• Home reading books which include two reading booked linked to the instructional phonic level children are working at as part of Read Write Inc.
• Opportunities to browse, select and read books in the class reading area
• Opportunities to role play and act out fictional scenes
• We set the children regular reading challenges to win a book of their choice from the ‘Reading Competition Vending Machine’
• We celebrate national events such as 'World Book Day' etc.

Year 2

Daily reading lessons are planned using the National Curriculum English Programmes of Study supported by the Reading Curriculum Progression Map.

In order to build on the foundations of Year 1, the RWI set 3 sounds are reviewed daily during Autumn Term 1.

During Year 2, teachers continue to focus on establishing pupils’ accurate and speedy word reading skills. They also ensure that pupils listen to and discuss a wide range of stories, poems, plays and information books - this will include whole books. As pupils begin to read fluently and independently they will be able to increase their vocabulary, comprehension and their knowledge across the wider curriculum. Regular reading sessions will provide opportunities for encouraging and embedding reading for pleasure.

Early Reading in the Juniors

At Nansen Primary we...

• use Read, Write, Inc. to support our children who are learning to decode
• scaffold our reading and lessons, using alternative high-quality texts or resources suited to the individual
• read regularly with adult support to build reading stamina and challenge our readers to increase their pace

Reading Strategies and Vocabulary

At Nansen Primary we…

• use ERIC starters to review, practise and embed skills taught
• ask questions aloud or in our heads as we are reading
• stop and clarify the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases that we come across
• summarise what we have read efficiently
• make predictions about what we might read next, based on what we have already read
• make connections between things we read and experiences we have
• evaluate the language that authors use and give our opinion
• infer meaning about characters, setting and plot from clues that the writer gives us in the text
• read for meaning and engage with the text skills taught explicitly.
• Vocabulary is taught both directly and indirectly to enhance the children’s ability to infer and refine word meanings from a text.
• New vocabulary is displayed on a working wall and reviewed during the week
• During 1:1 reading and teacher led reading groups, vocabulary instruction is taught explicitly.

Story time and Authors

At Nansen Primary we ...

• enjoy a minimum of three story time sessions a week. In these sessions, the whole class text can be read to the children as well as a book of the children’s choice. The teacher models the ‘in the moment’ reading strategies
• explore the lives of the authors that we read and make connections
• identify themes between books by different authors
• display and celebrate the authors we have read in our classrooms.

Assessment

At Nansen Primary we…

• In nursery, use Oral blending (Fred talk)
• In EYFS and KS1, use half termly RWI assessment tracker, RWI Phonics Screening Check tracker, Reading Programme to assess the children’s reading age, National mock Phonics Screening Check and termly NTS assessment
• In KS2, use termly NTS assessments to monitor progress in reading and identify misconceptions
• listen to the children read aloud regularly and assess fluency and comprehension through questioning
• Use Shine interventions to close the gaps.