Reading

Everybody knows that learning to read is a fundamental skill for life. We recognise and value that learning the skill of speaking and listening are fundamental in supporting children's ability to read and write. We therefore provide multiple opportunities for children to share their ideas, thoughts and opinions through discussion. Teachers and Teaching Partners provide ample opportunities for back and forth interaction to model new language as well as how to conduct a skilled conversation. As a result of these approaches children expand their vocabulary and comprehension skills which enables them to read with confidence.

Reading Records 

All pupils have a reading record. For young children this serves as a dialogue between the class teacher and parents about:

• the book the child has read
• what page they have got up to
• how they read
• how well matched the book was to the child's ability level
• any words they have found difficult

For more fluent readers in Year 2, and for all readers from Year 3 onwards, the reading record becomes something else: a record of a child’s personal response, in writing, to the books they are reading.

Reading for Pleasure 

We value reading for pleasure highly and work hard as a school to grow our Reading for Pleasure pedagogy.

‘Reading for pleasure is the single most important indicator of a child’s success.’ (OECD 2002)

Every classroom has an inviting book corner that encourages a love for reading. We curate these books and talk about them to entice children to read a wide range of books. Book corners offer further books by authors that are being studied, alongside a number of books chosen by the school council to give children the ownership over their class libraries. Buddy readers are paired to children from older classes to foster a love of reading and interactions that encourage conversations around stories. 

Reading Fluency

When pupils read fluently, their cognitive resources shift from the mechanics of decoding to understanding the text. This shift is crucial because without fluency, comprehension is hindered and a pupil who struggles to decode is unlikely to grasp the bigger picture. (EEF, 2025) 

Reading fluency is modelled continuously by teachers throughout English and Guided Reading lessons. Pupils are provided with opportunities to practise reading fluently in whole class, small groups and pairs. Reading fluency forms an integral part of reading instruction. 

Reading at 90 wpm is commonly viewed as the rate at which primary school pupils begin reading fluently enough to focus on understanding (EEF). We therefore track fluency carefully through KS2 and reading fluency books are used, alongside intervention, to support any readers who have recently moved off Little Wandle Rapid Catch Up or are reading fewer than 90 wpm.