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Wescott Infant School

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Reading and Phonics

Curriculum Purpose

At Wescott we recognise the ability to read has a key role in pupils’ further learning development and is an essential life skill. When teaching reading we use high quality children’s books to stimulate an interest in, and a life-long love of reading. We aim to stimulate children’s curiosity and imagination and create a learning environment which enables pupils to come to read for pleasure. By the end of Year 2 we aim to ensure pupils use their phonic knowledge to decode unfamiliar words, as well as having an additional bank of strategies available to decode words when phonics may not be sufficient alone. We also aim to ensure children have the necessary comprehension skills to help them understand the texts they are reading across the curriculum. Finally, we aim to ensure children are able to engage with the Key Stage 2 curriculum post-Year 2 and use their word reading and comprehension skills to further understand new learning.

Reading Curriculum Overview.pdf

Phonics

Phonics is taught using the structure of our systematic synthetic programme ‘Little Wandle Letters & Sounds’. This comprehensive programme provides a multisensory approach, using letter frames, flash cards, phonic games and listening activities.

Using the Little Wandle Letters & Sounds lesson structure, each session will follow the same format of introduce, revisit and review, teach, practise and apply. This ensures that children learn new sounds whilst applying taught sounds to their reading of new words. Children work on decoding, segmenting and blending in every lesson. Children are exposed and use the correct subject specific technical vocabulary (such as phoneme, digraph, trigraph). Our lessons are designed to meet the children’s needs based on our on-going phonic assessments.

During daily direct teaching sessions, the teacher will provide clear model and pronunciation of sounds, observing and assessing children to ensure those who have a secure understanding are able to move on as well as be aware of those children who need to revisit certain sounds. They will also be addressing misconceptions during the lesson. Children will be active participants in every lesson.

Phonics resources are consistent throughout the school, allowing children to apply their phonic knowledge in all areas of the curriculum. Phonics and word mats support spelling and writing across the curriculum and having access to Phonics displays enables children to apply taught knowledge and skills to decode unfamiliar words in the classroom.

Reading scheme books provide decodable reading material to ensure that, as children move through the early stages of acquiring phonic knowledge and skills, they can practice by reading texts closely matched to their level of phonic attainment. Texts from a range of genres and publishers are matched by phonics phases and colour reading band to ensure children are reading at 90% fluency.

Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Programme Progression

Reading

Staff work hard to develop an enthusiasm and motivation for reading in pupils, so they come to read for pleasure and interest There is a stimulating book corner established in each classroom designed for such purposes.

All year groups have a special collection of books containing the school’s Literacy Spine of classic and favourite texts.

All classes across the school visit the library each week to allow pupils to follow their own interests in selecting books, both fiction and non-fiction.

A whole school themed Book Week takes place once a year where pupils engage in activities linked to the theme and texts. Pupils have access to an excellent book shop during the week, which stocks high quality texts, allowing them to browse to find books of their choice. When possible a visiting author also joins the school for a day.