Reading
At Walworth School, we recognise that reading is a key life skill, and are dedicated to encouraging and enabling our pupils to become confident and proficient readers. We believe that reading is the cornerstone for the whole curriculum and mastering this skill is key to success. We provide well-structured resources and programmes to support children’s development of reading, which focuses on mastering phonological awareness, word decoding, sight reading and comprehension. Every class has access to the whole-school reading scheme, a class-based library and the school library.
Phonics Intervention
In September 2021, our school purchased and implemented a government approved SSP scheme, Read Write Inc. Initially, this has been introduced to the youngest children in the school (mainly KS1/Class 1). Pupils receive daily phonics lessons.
Currently, children in classes 2-6, who have gaps within their phonics knowledge, receive phonics intervention lessons using Rapid Phonics. Rapid Phonics Snappy Lessons are designed to make phonics catch-up sessions quick, memorable and fun. They are interactive through use of games and actions that help children remember reading and spelling strategies, which they apply in all areas of the curriculum.
By the end of the summer term of this academic year, all children requiring phonic intervention will have transferred over to using Read Write Inc. In years 1-4, children will receive Read Write Inc. phonics lessons. Children in years 5 and 6 will complete Read Write Inc.’s Fresh Start as an intervention.
Read Write Inc. is a scheme developed by Ruth Miskin. If you would like more information on Read Write Inc., please visit her website for further information.
Read Write Inc. includes lots of resources that parents / carers can use at home. Parents and carers can access 27 Read Write Inc. Phonics eBook titles for extra practice with their children at home, plus three Fresh Start Anthologies. In addition to this, 62 Speed Sound Practice Sheets are also available to download.
To access this, you will need to create a free account on Oxford Owl to access the eBooks at home.
Individual Reading
At Walworth School we aim to hear every child read individually every day.
Children are assessed and assigned books from the Rapid Reading Scheme to support the development of their individual reading skills. Children progress through the levels until they become competent and independent readers. Independent readers, who are no longer accessing books from the scheme, can then choose from a wide variety of books within school (free readers), and continue to be heard reading on a regular basis. Staff, who hear children read, use a range of effective questions to support the child to develop comprehension skills.
Shared Reading
Shared reading takes place within English lessons and across the wider curriculum. The teacher models the key reading skills to the whole class. Children have the opportunity to support each other when reading and are encouraged to read in front of their peers.
Reading Lessons
Teachers plan and implement one whole-class reading lesson each week as part of their English lessons. The lessons focus on one area of knowledge or a development of a reading skill linked to the National Curriculum. Content of the lesson is differentiated to meet individual needs.
Reading for pleasure
We value reading for pleasure and enjoyment and therefore allow sufficient time during the school day for this. In KS2, pupils also engage with an age-appropriate class novel, which is read by a Teacher or support member of staff. In these sessions teachers are facilitating an ethos that allows pupils to ‘become lost in the book’. In KS1, pupils engage with short stories on a regular basis as part of a ‘story time’ session.
Additional Reading and Spelling Intervention.
Whilst the majority of children will master decoding by using a synthetic phonics program, we acknowledge that some children require further support in addition to this program. Children who continue to struggle with reading, are given regular access Nessy, an online Dyslexia friendly reading and spelling intervention program.
