Please click on the links below to view our Curriculum pages.
The Seven Aspects of Reading
Seven Aspects of Reading – Lanivet School
How do we prioritise reading?
- Each of our classrooms has a reading corner where pupils can sit comfortably (in most classrooms) during the day to read a book. Books are rotated regularly by staff to match the class topic and pupils’ interests. The area is resourced with comics, magazines (we currently subscribe to Eco Kids Planet) to extend reading for pleasure.
- Each classroom has a selection of books as a mini library with a selection of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
- We endeavour to read high quality texts to enrich the learning and provide access to a range of genres.
- To encourage reading at home, we reward pupils with a non-uniform day ticket once they’ve read 5 times per week for 6 weeks. We use reading diaries to monitor pupils who are not reading enough at home so we can provide extra provision in school.
- Reading is celebrated in our school assembly each week through the award of a remarkable reader certificate. We also hold reading events throughout the year such as the Extreme Reading competition and World Book Day.
- Novel study sessions take place in each class (Y2 – Y6) every week to ensure that pupils are exposed to high quality texts while strengthening their comprehension skills through the use of VIPERS questions. Pupils in Year 2 to Year 6 also complete activities from the Comprehension Ninja textbook once a week.
- KS2 pupils, who are not reading frequently at home, are also heard individually to read at school each morning and additionally some afternoons with the support of our volunteer readers.
How do we promote a love of reading?
- All staff are expert readers, modelling reading skills, discussing texts read with the pupils and sharing their own love of reading. The same applies to our volunteer readers.
- Teachers read class stories daily (as well as a poem of the day) to promote a love and enjoyment of stories, immersing them in the world of imagination.
- Our learning opportunities incorporate a range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, to expose pupils to different texts they may enjoy.
- Pupils are able to access our main library to change their books once they’ve completed the AR quiz for the book they’ve just read.
- For World Book Day, we invite parents to come in to school and read with the pupils over a ‘reading breakfast’ where staff can also share their books.
- Trips to the local library, author visits and attending book festivals have all been used in the past to help foster a love of reading in our school.
- Every child has a borrow box account to enable them to access books and audio books from home.
How do we make sure pupils make progress?
- Phonics is taught following the RWI progression of sounds to ensure a systematic approach. Phonics lessons follow the same sequence of teach, practise, revise, review and apply. Planning includes assessment for the graphemes taught. Phonics is assessed half-termly to identify gaps in learning to inform future planning and intervention.
- Each class has four dedicated 20-30 minute guided reading sessions per week. The sessions are well-structured and provide opportunity for pupils to read independently, as part of a group which is adult led and to develop comprehension skills.
- The school supports pupils to be expert readers by developing the key skills explained within the VIPERS acronym:
- There is a clear progression of reading skills from Reception to Year 6 against which pupils’ progress is measured and gaps are noted and acted on.
- Pupils who are struggling with decoding skills (preventing them from accessing reading material) have targeted interventions or are part of a smaller reading group. Targeted intervention follows the ‘Reading Recovery’ programme or RWI scheme and staff implementing this are fully trained by teaching staff.
- Pupils who need further opportunity to practise reading because they do not read at home, are given priority to read to an adult in school. Class teachers ensure volunteers, who come into school to hear readers, are trained to support reading appropriately.
- Staff have pupil progress meetings and the Reading Lead completes pupil conferencing in reading.
- We assist parents with supporting reading by providing parents meetings, reading information meetings, information on the website and letters home.
How do we match the pupils' reading books to their phonic ability?
- Pupils are assessed daily in phonics as well as half-termly using the RWI assessments. Assessment then informs which books match to the pupil’s phonic ability.
- Staff in EYFS and KS1 are responsible for changing and or checking the pupils’ reading books.
- Children complete a star assessment on the Accelerated Reader scheme every half term. This allows a reading range to be calculated, which ensures children are reading books that offer a suitable level of challenge.
- Once the children have completed their book, they take a quiz on it (they have their books open to allow opportunity for scanning text during the test.) If they score 100%, they can move up a level within their allotted reading range to allow for slightly more challenge.
How do we teach phonics from the start?
Pupils begin learning letter sounds on entry to Reception. Following the RWI system pupils are immersed in a directed teaching approach which embeds systematic phonics skills as the core skills for reading. Sounds are taught in a specific order, and regular assessment informs future planning and interventions.
First, pupils will learn to read:
- Set 1 Speed Sounds: these are sounds written with one letter: m a s d t i n p g o c k u b f e l h r j v y w z x and sounds written with two letters digraphs: sh th ch qu ng nk ck
• Words containing these sounds, by sound-blending, e.g. m–a–t mat, c–a–t cat, g–o–t got, f–i–sh fish, s–p–o–t spot, b–e–s–t best, s–p–l–a–sh splash.
Second, we will learn to read:
- Set 2 Speed Sounds: ay ee igh ow oo oo ar or air ir ou oy
- Words containing these sounds.
Third, we will learn to read:
- Set 3 Speed Sounds: ea oi a-e i-e o-e u-e aw are ur er ow ai oa ew ire ear ure as well as the sounds ue, au, wh, ph, oe, ie
• Words containing these sounds.
From set 1 pupils will learn 4 new sounds per week.
To support the learning in school, pupils take home phonics sheets that match the sounds they have learnt each week. They also take home their phonically decodable reading book to reinforce the sounds taught and the red words (common exception words).
- Phonics is discussed with parents in the Phonics Workshop with parents in the Autumn term where they are given resources to support phonics at home.
How do we support pupils to catch up?
- Summative data is submitted once a term and pupil progress analysis is taken from this. Pupils identified by class teachers and in pupil progress meetings as not making progress have interventions planned for them and teaching staff are aware of who is a priority for intervention/support.
- Formative data informs day-to-day planning and teachers adapt and change this according the pupil needs.
- Pupils who did not achieve their phonics check receive interventions (daily reader/extra phonics support) and/or work in a group which is teacher driven.
- Where progress becomes a concern, parents are invited to a meeting with the teacher and advice is given as to how they can further support their child at home.
How do we train staff to be reading experts?
- Teaching staff, including Teaching Assistants receive reading and phonics training as and when required. This may be a specific focus on the SDP or a personal target identified in performance management or specific training identified by staff. This may include in-house training or external training depending on the needs of the staff.
- Subject leads for writing and reading attend the MAT network meetings and cascade relevant information back to the school.
- The Headteacher, School Improvement Partner and subject leads monitor guided reading sessions and conduct pupil conferencing to ensure agreed approaches and consistency are applied across the school.
- The subject leader attends termly training provided by Dandelion Learning. This is then fed back to co-workers.