Reading at Barham
At Barham Church of England Primary School, we believe that reading opens doors. It enables children to succeed across the curriculum, discover new ideas, understand different experiences and develop a lifelong love of learning.
At Barham Church of England Primary School, we believe that reading opens doors. It enables children to succeed across the curriculum, discover new ideas, understand different experiences and develop a lifelong love of learning.
Reading also helps our children grow to be kind, confident and curious. Books encourage kindness by helping children see the world through other people’s eyes; increasing fluency gives them confidence as readers and learners; and encountering new stories, information and ideas inspires curiosity.
Our ambition is for every child to leave Barham as a fluent, thoughtful and enthusiastic reader.
Our aims for every reader
We want every child to:
* use secure phonics knowledge to decode unfamiliar words;
* read accurately, fluently and with expression;
* develop a rich and increasingly ambitious vocabulary;
* understand, discuss and respond thoughtfully to texts;
* retrieve information, make connections and explain ideas using evidence;
* experience a broad range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry;
* discover authors, genres and subjects that capture their interest; and
* choose to read for pleasure as well as for learning.
How reading is taught at Barham
Reading is taught through whole-class teaching, small-group work and individual practice. Children are taught the knowledge and skills they need to become successful readers, including decoding, fluency, vocabulary, retrieval, inference, prediction, summarising and evaluating an author’s choices.
High-quality books are used throughout our curriculum. These texts enrich children’s vocabulary and knowledge while providing exciting starting points for discussion, writing and learning in other subjects.
Teachers assess children’s reading regularly so that additional teaching and support can be provided promptly whenever it is needed.
Early reading and phonics
In Reception and Year 1, children receive a daily phonics lesson using Essential Letters and Sounds, a systematic synthetic phonics programme validated by the Department for Education.
Children learn the sounds represented by letters and groups of letters and how to blend these sounds to read words. They take home carefully selected decodable books containing the sounds they have already been taught. This allows them to practise successfully and develop accuracy, fluency and confidence.
Rereading the same decodable book is important. Each reading should become smoother and more expressive as the child becomes increasingly familiar with the words and meaning.
Phonics teaching continues in Year 2 and beyond for any child who needs further support. Teaching and intervention are carefully matched to each child’s needs so that they can make strong progress.
Developing fluency and understanding
As children become increasingly secure at decoding, teaching places greater emphasis on fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
Children learn to:
* read at an appropriate pace and with expression;
* discuss the meaning of unfamiliar words;
* identify important information;
* explain their ideas using evidence from the text;
* make sensible predictions and inferences;
* summarise what they have read; and
* compare texts, themes, characters and authors.
These skills are developed through carefully chosen fiction, non-fiction and poetry and are applied across the wider curriculum.
Reading for pleasure
Reading for pleasure is at the heart of school life. Our welcoming, well-stocked library provides children with access to an extensive selection of books, supported by our school librarian. Class book corners offer further opportunities for children to browse, explore and choose books that appeal to them.
Our reading spines include high-quality, engaging and inclusive texts. We want children to encounter familiar experiences while also discovering different cultures, perspectives, places and ways of life.
Choice is important. Novels, picture books, poetry, factual books, comics and graphic novels can all help children find their identity as readers.
Our reading spines and text maps
Our year-group text maps show the rich range of books children encounter during their time at Barham. They include texts used for reading instruction and writing, reading-for-pleasure choices, poetry and books linked to wider curriculum learning.
Supporting reading at home
Families make an invaluable contribution to children’s reading development. Regular reading at home gives children the individual encouragement, conversation and practice that help them flourish.
A few minutes of relaxed, positive reading regularly is often more beneficial than one long session. You can help by:
* finding a quiet and comfortable place to read;
* encouraging early readers to say the sounds and blend them together;
* rereading decodable books to build fluency and expression;
* reading aloud to your child, whatever their age;
* taking turns to read pages or sections;
* talking about new or interesting vocabulary;
* asking your child what they think rather than testing them on every page;
* encouraging a wide range of reading, including stories, poetry, information books, comics and magazines;
* visiting the local library and allowing your child to choose; and
* showing that you value reading by letting your child see you read.
Audiobooks can also be a wonderful way to experience stories and ambitious language. They can be enjoyed alongside, rather than instead of, opportunities to practise independent reading.
Our Reading Together at Home leaflet contains further guidance.
If your child finds reading difficult or you are unsure how best to support them, please speak to their class teacher. We will be pleased to work with you and suggest strategies or books appropriate to their stage of reading.
Finding your child’s next book
The following websites offer useful, current recommendations:
* BookTrust Bookfinder – recommendations by age and interest
* LoveReading4Kids – reviews, recommendations and age-guided book lists
* Centre for Literacy in Primary Education – high-quality primary booklists
* UKLA Book Awards – outstanding children’s books chosen by teachers
* The Carnegies – award-winning writing and illustration
* The Reading Agency – including the annual Summer Reading Challenge
