How Reading is taught at

St Scholastica's

Our reading curriculum is built around essential domains that ensure a comprehensive approach to literacy. These domains are word reading, reading comprehension and reading for pleasure. 

Within these domains, there are key concepts that will help develop and support the progression in reading, which are:

Word Reading

• Phonics and Decoding: Pupils learn to decode words using phonics, recognizing the relationship between letters and sounds. This is a key focus in EYFS and Key Stage 1.
• Fluency: Developing speed, accuracy, and expression in reading so that pupils can read texts effortlessly and with understanding.

Comprehension 

• Understand Key Themes and Ideas: Identify and discuss the main points, themes, and key messages in texts.
• Retrieve Information: Extract specific details or facts from a text to answer questions or support arguments.
• Summarise: Identify and summarise main ideas from texts, understanding how these ideas develop.
• Infer Meaning: Use evidence from the text to make inferences about characters, settings, and events, and to understand implied meanings.
• Predict: Anticipate what might happen next based on what has been read so far.
• Clarify: Explore unfamiliar words and phrases, building vocabulary and understanding their meaning in context.
• Analyse Language and Structure: Examine how writers use language, including vocabulary, grammar, and structural choices, to achieve effects and convey meaning.
• Evaluate Texts: Discuss and critique texts, considering the author’s intent, viewpoint, and effectiveness in achieving their purpose.

Reading for Pleasure

• Engagement with Texts: Pupils are encouraged to read widely and frequently, fostering a love of reading for enjoyment and knowledge.
• Exploration of Diverse Literature: Accessing a range of genres, cultures, and perspectives to develop empathy and cultural understanding.

Our reading curriculum is carefully structured to ensure progression and success for every child, beginning with a strong foundation in Early Years and Key Stage 1 and continuing to develop comprehension and analytical skills in Key Stage 2.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Key Stage 1 (KS1)

Read Write Inc. (RWI): Systematic daily phonics teaching ensures children build strong decoding and blending skills. Grouping by ability allows tailored support to ensure rapid progress, particularly for those who need additional help.

Daily Supported Reading (DSR): Small, guided sessions ensure children practice fluency and comprehension using carefully matched books. These sessions build confidence and enjoyment, with extra support for pupils with SEN or those falling behind.

Key Stage 2 (KS2)

Destination Reader (DR): Taught daily, Destination Reader is a structured approach  to reading comprehension teaches strategies such as predicting, clarifying, questioning, and summarising. This approach emphasises collaboration, discussion, and independent reflection while providing scaffolding for pupils who need it. During these sessions children look specific at different text types, vocabulary and the reading skills needed to understand a new text.

Targeted Support: Interventions, such as Lexia, ensure that disadvantaged pupils and those with SEN receive personalised, technology-supported pathways to success

Being a reader at St Scholastica's means:

• excellent phonic knowledge and skills, taught through the scheme of Read Write Inc.

• fluency and accuracy in reading across a wide range of contexts throughout the curriculum supported through the pedagogy of Daily Supported Reading and Destination Reader.
  

• an excellent comprehension of texts.

• the motivation to read for both study and pleasure.

• extensive knowledge through having read a rich and varied range of cross curricula, diverse and classic literature texts.

Trips, Visits, and Workshops

We enhance our reading curriculum with immersive experiences, including:

• Author visits that bring stories to life.
• Reading challenges and themed events, such as World Book Day, to celebrate literature.
• Visits to local libraries and literacy-focused workshops to inspire a love of reading.

Reading at Home 

We believe in the vital role families play in fostering a love for reading:

• Pupils in EYFS and KS1 take home phonics-aligned books that match their decoding ability, along with books for enjoyment.
• Pupils in KS2 bring home books matched to their reading level, alongside their choice of library books.
• Parents receive guidance on supporting reading, including how to ask questions and share the joy of reading together.
• Reading logs ensure consistent communication and accountability between home and school.

Phonics at Home