Reading

Early reading

Reading involves having the ability to recognise, that is decode, words on a page and also comprehend what meaning those words carry. The model below shows that both skills are needed to achieve fluent reading.

We aspire to support all children effectively so they acquire the skills to achieve within the Good/Good section of this model.

All children have several reading experiences every day. They will listen to stories being read to them, they will read around in a learning environment, they will read for a purpose, eg: to find out how to complete a task, they may read in a 1:1 scenario and they will have time to read for pleasure. We want to instil in every child a love for reading so they are motivated to read widely and are lifelong learners.

Phonics

Phonics is a method of teaching children to read by linking sounds (phonemes) and the symbols that represent them (graphemes, or letter groups). At Trinity, high-quality phonic teaching happens every day in EYFS and Key Stage One to secure the crucial skills of word recognition.  We use a systematic approach to the teaching of phonics and follow the North Somerset phonics programme, supported by the use of Jolly Phonics actions.  As children move through the early stages of acquiring phonics, they practise applying this knowledge by reading texts which are entirely decodable for them, from the Oxford Reading Tree scheme.

Once children master phonics, it enables them to read fluently, thus freeing them to concentrate on the meaning of the text.

Useful links to support phonics at home

Phonics play:

https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/ 

Phonics play:

https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/

Phonics bloom:

https://phonicsbloom.com/

You can select the relevant age/stage in

each of these suggested websites. 

Our Reading Scheme

A reading scheme is a series of books that have been carefully written to support the process of learning to read and to help children make progress as readers. At Trinity, we mainly use Oxford Reading Tree books but also use some other publishers to ensure the children are exposed to a breadth of high quality texts. When children are able to blend sounds, they will come home with a reading book matched to their ability. All pupils will bring home books regularly and will progress through the different book bands as their decoding and comprehension skills develop.

Reading at home

As parents, you can make the biggest difference to your child’s success as a reader by encouraging your child to read as much and as widely as possible at home. Reading with your child every day, even just for 10 minutes, can make all the difference to their progress. We ask that all reading at home is recorded in the communication book we use called the Share Book. 

The Teaching of Reading

At Trinity, we use picture books, novels, poems and factual texts from EYFS to Year 6 to engage and stimulate learning. We ensure children are exposed to high quality literature that deepens and challenges their knowledge and understanding. We encourage children to be ‘active’ readers. This means we want children to be asking questions as they read, we want them to be puzzled by the challenging pitch of the selected texts and we want them to be making predictions and reflecting on what they have read. Although independent reading time is crucial for enjoyment, reading encompasses many other skills, which need discrete opportunities to explore. We have guided reading sessions where the children focus on developing specific reading skills.