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Springfield Primary School Reading

Reading at Springfield

Reading is at the heart of our English curriculum at Springfield. We appreciate that, without reading, children are without access to many other areas of learning. To promote engagement in reading, we aim to develop a passion for reading across the school through a range of texts which are both challenging and inspiring. Children’s skills are developed from the early decoding stages through to more detailed comprehension skills taught via a range of methods which includes individual, group and whole class reading sessions.

We aim to teach the children the skills to enable them to read well but we also aim to instil in them a love of reading and books.

In EYFS, we focus on the development of children’s speech and language skills and in developing their language and vocabulary through games, songs, stories and rhymes and through the sharing of high-quality books. Children are then introduced to phonics through the structured program of Read Write Inc. When children enter KS1, phonics continues and a greater emphasis is placed on group and whole class reading sessions, from a range of authors and with links to the wider curriculum being made. This continues into KS2, with children being encouraged to become more independent readers. Group and whole class guided reading are continued with links to the wider curriculum. A focus on vocabulary development, the development of specific reading skills and immersion in a wide range of texts further develop a contextual knowledge and understanding.

To support their development in reading we use many reading schemes which are banded according to ability. Children can select to read books from the reading schemes, our library and from home. Reading is rewarded through a 100 minute system. The aim of this is that we promise to faciliate reading for 50 minutes in school each week if you can do the same at home. All 100 minute tickets are put into a raffle and at the end of each month, a name is pulled out from each class to receive a book of their choice.

Following on from a parent's survey, the results showed that parents wanted more support with choosing appropriate books for their age children and accessing good books. As a result, we have updated the library and the PTA very generously fund a new selection of books each term. We have a new online library system in place and Reading Ambassadors have been selected to support children in choosing new books and to also help run the library. Every class has a slot to visit the library each week and it is open after school for children in Foundation to attend with an adult. Each half term, a reading newsletter is published with recommendations and reviews from staff. This is for both adults and children!

Reading presentation to parents - PowerPoint presentation shown at the parents' information evening on 13th September (please click here)