Reading Beyond Phonicss
Reading Comprehension & Fluency
Reading is taught four times each week from 9.00-9.30am in year groups 2 to 6 (unless additional phonics teaching is required). Children in each year group will follow a reading cycle which prioritises fluency, language development (Oracy) and reading comprehension.
The reading comprehension teaching cycle is as follows:
Week 1- Fluency
Lesson 1 – Accuracy
Children read the key text three times: once independently, once in a pair or small group and once as a whole class with modelling of fluency by the class teacher. Each time children read aloud to support the development of accurate decoding and word recognition.
Lesson 2 - Automaticity
Children read the key text three times again: once out loud a whole class; once by echoing the full text in phrases and sentences and finally through choral reading with various sub-groups within the class reading aloud as the remaining children follow along.
Lesson 3 – Prosody
To begin with, the class teacher models reading the text for prosody- text marking where children must be mindful of phrasing, stress, intonation and punctuation. Children the take part in ‘Readers’ Theatre’ where they are given the chance to perform the text in small groups and practise the different aspects of prosody required from the text.
Week 2 - Fluency into Comprehension
Lesson 1 Oracy
The class teacher plans a range of opportunities for children to develop their understanding of the text through talk. This can include discussions, debates, performances or drama techniques such as ‘hot seating’ and ‘conscience alley’.
Lesson 2 - Whole-class Comprehension
The class teacher this time plans a variety of questions based on the text for the children to answer as a collective group. Questions are from the domains of reading and are presented in a range of ways such ‘matching’, ‘true or false’. ‘tick a box’, ‘find and copy’ and those requiring a more developed answer. Answers are discussed as a class and teachers models how to answer each question.
Lesson 3 - Formal recording
Children are given a set of questions to answer about the text. Answers are recorded in reading comprehension books and these will showcase the depth of understanding children have achieved as a result of the cycle. These are marked by the teacher and feedback is provided to address any misconceptions.
Lesson 4 (Week 1 & 2) - Reading for Pleasure
The final session of Week 1 and 2 allows flexibility for teachers and children to read for pleasure. This could include: the reading of a class novel or a cross-curricular text chosen from the ‘Stranton Reading Spine’; the opportunity for independent or reciprocal reading or a visit to our ‘Reading Room’ or school library.
Whole Class Reading
Whole class teaching of reading is covered within the writing cycle in the form of the Oracy lesson that allows children to apply their skills and explore the class text. Teachers recap the skills taught and children will have the opportunity to explore new vocabulary and discuss the content and themes from their reading.
Reading Fluency & Assessment
Reading fluency is actively promoted across school. It is expected that all children will read an age-appropriate amount of words per minute from Year 2 onwards. By the end of each academic year, it is expected that:
- By the end of Year 2 children should be able to read 100 words of an age-appropriate text in one minute.
- By the end of Year 3 children should be able to read 110 words of an age-appropriate text in one minute.
- By the end of Year 4 children should be able to read 120 words of an age-appropriate text in one minute.
- By the end of Year 5 children should be able to read 140 words of an age-appropriate text in one minute.
- By the end of Year 6 children should be able to read 150 words of an age-appropriate text in one minute.
To support early identification of a reading fluency issue with a child, all children not accessing phonics complete the ‘Fluency Assessment’ at the beginning of the year. This identifies which children require targeted fluency support as their WCPM (Words Correct Per Minute) is significantly lower than that of their chronological age. They are then re-tested on this at the end of each term to chart progress and inform next steps.
Class teachers use Quizizz at the end of each reading fluency cycle to assess progress and inform their knowledge of each child.
To inform Pupil Progress Meetings and end of year data, each child will complete a year-group-specific reading test at the end of each term.
Reading for Pleasure
Reading for pleasure is encouraged in a range of ways across school. All classes base their literacy work on a class text to engage all children and inspire a love of learning across the curriculum. Additionally, all classes share a class story with their teacher at the end of each day so that the children have the chance to listen to someone reading to them. Regular time in our school library or Reading Room during story time also helps to promote the importance of books to a child’s education. Library clubs are currently running on a break time to enable children to have access to a wide range of literary works. All children in Key Stage 2 choose an age-appropriate text from the school library (unless they access phonics or 1:1 reading) and they get to read this at the start of each day. The purpose of this is to not only promote engagement within reading but to develop individual reading confidence and fluency. We also receive four boxes of both fiction and non-fiction texts each month as part of our partnership with Hartlepool Library. These are chosen to link with our termly topics. Parents are invited into school to take part in reading workshops to develop good home-school links. Finally, a child from each class takes home a ‘Reading Basket’ each week which contains an appropriate book, some hot chocolate and a teddy bear.
The ‘Stranton ‘Reading Spine’ has been formulated by teaching staff for all year groups and encapsulates the range of literature our children access and engage with over the course of the year. The purpose is to promote reading for pleasure. Children access a set amount of specially selected, cross-curricular books over the course of the year. These include fiction, non-fiction and poetry texts.
Targeted Fluency Group Reading
Our work with the DfE and its partners has facilitated the refinement of our provision for reading and the greater impetus on the development of reading fluency. The Reading and Language Development Programme is a Wave 1 reading intervention and we have utilised its core elements so that all children not accessing phonics receive the same, rigorous Quality First Teaching. Those children whose reading fluency is significantly lower than the expectations for their age (and those no longer needing our Little Wandle phonics provision) will read in a targeted catch-up group each week with an adult. The purpose of this is to allow further practice and development of fluency outside of the classroom (monitored by an adult).
Intervention Programmes for Reading
Regular and rigorous assessments take place throughout lessons and at various points throughout the year to ensure the children are accessing the correct level of reading for them. If children are not working within the expected standard, they will receive extra support and targeted intervention from one or more of the following programmes:
- Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Keep-up
- Little Wandle Fluency Programme
- Little Wandle SEND Programme
Progress made by children who participate in these intervention programmes is tracked by Little Wandle Assessments which is analysed to inform impact and next steps to give the children every opportunity to read age-appropriate texts confidently.
Reading Curriculum
Reading Domains Progression
This Reading Domains Progression document details the reading skills that pupils will gain at each stage of the curriculum.