The ability to read and enjoy reading is a wonderful gift. We believe that reading should be an enjoyable activity and our approach to reading is based on this.
In the Early Years and Key Stage One there is a great emphasis on developing the building blocks of reading: phonic knowledge.
As soon as the children start their journey at All Saints’ in the Early Years Reception Year, the Letters and Sounds programme is followed. Letters and Sounds focuses on high quality phonics using segmentation and blending based on Synthetic Phonics. This is in place to improve children’s Communication, Language and Literacy Development and provides children with basic skills in reading and spelling. The programme is split into six phases; Phase One designed to develop speaking and listening skills, up to Phase Six where children begin ‘reading to learn’ rather than learning to read. Phonics teaching continues in Year One and at the end of this year, the Phonics Screening Test (introduced by Department for Education in 2011) takes place to assess achievement in Phonics. In Year Two, phonics teaching continues and, where there is a need, children in Key Stage 2 may also take part in phonics teaching and learning.
At Key Stage Two reading is extended and the skills of inference, deduction and evaluation are developed.
Children need to be able to read with understanding, for pleasure and for information. In Key Stage One children are helped and guided towards suitable reading material using a range of guided reading books to support reading development. As pupils become more independent readers, they are given responsibility for their own choice in reading. All classrooms have their own reading areas and the children in school regularly visit the village library. We aim for children to develop a love of reading and encourage children to take books home or to access Bug Club at home and share their reading with their parents.
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