Reading and Phonics

Reading and Phonics

Phonics

Philosophy

English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. It is a subject in its own right and the medium through which almost all the school curriculum is taught and communication occurs. Therefore, it is fundamental to the whole education process.  We recognise, then, that children need to be introduced to reading and writing and speaking and listening through a range of rich and active experiences and a variety of teaching styles.  Knowledge, skills and understanding are taught in a structured, progressive way and we aim to engender an enthusiasm for and love of reading in the children that is long lasting. Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, spiritually and socially. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. Our school follows the Read, Write, Inc phonics scheme. It is taught daily for 20 minutes and structured into four key components: hearing, saying, reading and writing the phoneme. In Foundation Stage children complete shared reading sessions four times a week. The four sessions consist of: background knowledge / read aloud – think aloud, vocabulary, visualise, comprehension. The duration of each session is 20 minutes.  Key Stage 1 children complete shared reading five times a week. The five sessions consist of: background knowledge, read aloud – think aloud, vocabulary, visualise, comprehension. The duration of each session is 30 minutes. Furthermore they complete a carousel of guided reading activities throughout the week. Activities include reading a familiar book with a member of staff and comprehension based activities. Children are also encouraged to read books based on a familiar author, encouraging them to read for enjoyment. In Foundation Stage children are read a book for enjoyment daily.

Aims and objectives

The overarching aim for English at Royd is to promote high standards of literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the written and spoken word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.

To develop effective readers who can:

  • Read easily and accurately with a good understanding.
  • Read with fluency and expression.
  • Use a range of strategies such as segmenting and blending to read unfamiliar words and make sense of what they have read.
  • Talk meaningfully about books they have read describing characters and events and expressing preferences.
  • Develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information.
  • Appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage.
  • The current phonics scheme used throughout school is Read, Write Inc.