Reading at Corby Glen Community Primary School

'Teach a child to read and keep that child reading and we will change everything.

And I mean everything'

Jeanette Winterson (author)

Here at Corby Glen, our aim is to ensure that children become confident, fluent readers who develop a love of reading through access to a diverse range of texts. 

How is reading taught at Corby Glen?

Our children start in Reception by learning to decode words for reading through phonics (detailed information is given in the phonics section on this page). In Reception and Y1, your child will have phonics and reading sessions every day in small groups. Your child will also begin to bring home a book that uses the same phonemes that they have been learning in school so that they can decode the words they are reading. A sharing book from our class collection or library will also be brought home for you to share with your child or - as your child's reading develops - they can begin to read themselves.

In Y2-Y6 your child will take part in Whole Class Reading sessions at least three times a week. These may be in small groups or might be taught as a whole class with a whole class text. The teacher will focus on developing your child's fluency and word reading skills as well as their comprehension of the text by asking targeted questions for discussion in the group. When your child is not working directly with the teacher in these sessions, they will be independently completing focused activities that will help develop their understanding and word reading skills.

As your child moves through the school, they will read whole class texts. This gives our children the opportunity to discuss high quality texts together as a group and access a range of books that extends their knowledge of the world and deepens and broadens their vocabulary.  Each class has an essential list of reads that incorporates modern and classic authors as well as poetry and non-fiction. Texts are read in a combination of modelled reading by the teacher, individual readers, choral reading (children together) or paired reading.

What opportunities are there for reading in school?

Our children read regularly in a range of situations and across the curriculum. This includes reading as a whole class, in small groups and 1:1. We have several reading helpers who support with reading and children love going out for some quiet reading time with them. Topic-linked texts are included in our curriculum wherever possible to enhance the children's learning and as a tool for developing them as skilled writers. We recognise the importance of picture books too and use these across each year group and sometimes have books as a focus for work across the curriculum. 

Storytime is an important part of the day in every class. Each year group has a 'reading canon' (essential reads for the year) which are introduced to the children in storytime sessions that may take place inside or on our storytelling circle outside.

What will my child bring home to read?

In Reception and into Y1 your child will bring home books that link to the phonemes they have been learning in their phonics lessons. In this way they will be able to decode the words on the page with the skills they have been using in the class.

As your child becomes a more fluent reader they will then bring home books from our reading scheme. These are book banded so that they match to the word reading level your child is able to read with about 95% accuracy.

Once your child is a fluent reader, they move away from the reading scheme and are able to choose from a range of 'free readers'. These can be chosen from the classroom and from our library. It is important at this stage that your child is choosing books that match their interest level as well as their word reading level, otherwise they will lose interest quickly by not fully understanding the words they are reading. Our book are separated into two sections to help children choose books that match their interests and reading skills.

Your child will also be able to take a book home from our library each week. This may be a book to share with you at home or a book they are able to read themselves. We have a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction in our library which your child can choose freely from to match - simply to enjoy and to nurture that love of reading!

Your child will have a reading diary to accompany their home reading book - we ask the children to log their reading in this at least three times a week. We also ask you to sign that your child has read at home too.

Reading Environments

Each of our classes have their own reading areas where we encourage children to develop a love of reading and through inviting children to read a wide variety of books. Our library has also been re-developed recently to create a chilled space to look for and read a book from our large selection. Book boxes also appear outside at lunchtimes and playtimes in fine weather so that children who want the occasional quieter time can select a book and find a spot to read.

How can I support my child to read?

Read to your child every day. This is a special time - even when your child is old enough to read fluently on their own.

• Make reading to your child feel like a treat.
• Introduce each new book with excitement.
• Make it a special quiet time and cuddle up so both of you can see the book.
• Show curiosity in what you’re going to read: Oh no! I think Arthur is going to get even angrier now!
• Read the whole story the first time through without stopping too much. If you think your child might not understand something, model an explanation: Oh I think what’s happening here is that…
• Chat about the story: I wonder why he did that? Oh no, I hope she’s not going to… I wouldn’t have done that, would you?
• Avoid asking questions to test what your child remembers.
• Link stories to your own experiences (e.g. This reminds me of…)
• Read favourite stories over and over again. Get your child to join in with the bits they know. 
• Read with enthusiasm. Don’t be embarrassed to try out different voices. Your child will love it. 
• Read with enjoyment. If you’re not enjoying it, your child won’t.
• Use a range of vocabulary with your child - don't be frightened of 'big words'!

Listen to your child read every day. Once they are independent readers, talk to your child about their book every day.

• Listen to your child read the same Read Write Inc. Storybook again and again.
• Encourage them to use ’Special Friends’, ‘Fred Talk’, ‘read the word’.
• Discuss the story and encourage their storyteller voice.

Our Reading Canon are the books that we have selected that are essential reads in each year group. Class teachers and our English Lead have carefully selected these books for various reasons: the theme or subject matter of the text may enhance the current learning in the classroom; they are classic texts that follow a particular structure that we think is important for your child to learn; that they reflect a range of different cultures and beliefs.

These texts are read in storytime and/or in guided reading sessions.

How do I know what books will be suitable for my child?

Each class has a 'canon of books' that we think our children should experience during the time they are at Corby Glen. A good place to start is the local library or bookshop to search for books that hold your child's interest. Booktrust is also a great website that will give you pointers for classic books for each age range, as well as suggestions for books around specific themes.

Books for 0-5 year olds

Click here:

https://www.booktrust.org.uk/booklists/1/100-best-0-5/

Books for 6-8 year olds

Click here:

https://www.booktrust.org.uk/booklists/1/100-best-books-6-8/

Books for 9-11year olds

Click here:

https://www.booktrust.org.uk/booklists/1/100-best-books-9-11/

What should my child be achieving in reading?

In Reception, your child will be working towards the Early Learning Goals in the aim of achieving these by the end of their reception year:

Reading: Children read and understand simple sentences. They use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately. They also read some common irregular words. They demonstrate understanding when talking with others about what they have read.

The following documents show expectations for reading at the end of each year group: