Reading at Holy Trinity
Our aim at Holy Trinity is to be a school that confidently meets the needs of every child in their development of reading. To find out more about our intentions, implementation and impact please read our Reading subject page.
We aim to ensure that all children have the chance to follow an enriching curriculum by getting them reading early: learning to read – reading to learn.
Competence in reading is the key to independent learning and has a direct effect on progress in all other areas of the curriculum.
There are three key areas that we consider crucial for reading success:
- Reading Mileage
- Skilled Adults
- Appropriate level texts aiming for 90% and above accuracy
Reading Mileage
Opportunities for extending reading mileage at Holy Trinity are:
- Individual Reading (1:1 reading with an adult in school)
- Shared Reading
- Paired Reading
- Reading as part of Literacy Tree writing tasks
- Independent reading
- Home reading
- Listen to stories read aloud
Phonics at Holy Trinity
At Holy Trinity, we follow the systematic synthetic phonics programme, 'Read Write Inc.'. Phonics is taught on a daily basis throughout the EYFS and KS1 and targeted interventions are delivered using Read Write Inc. in KS2.
We are committed to every child learning to read as quickly as possible with the strongest start to reading in the Foundation Stage.
Our ultimate aims and objectives within the Read Write Inc. programme are for the children to be able to learn and apply sound blending skills and to learn to segment words in order to be able to create skilled and confident readers. Children also learn to read and spell words that do not conform to regular phonetic patterns (High Frequency or tricky Words) and decode both fiction and non-fiction texts through discussion, performance and teacher led activities.
Children with specific reading, speech and language or hearing difficulties will be identified and supported through 1-1 or small group interventions.
Parental Involvement
Parents are encouraged to listen to their children read at home and able readers are expected to read independently at home to build reading mileage.
Phonics in the EYFS Environment
The Early years for our Little Bears and Nursery are the building blocks of early reading, where skilled and passionate adults share their love of books and reading, show children how to listen, look, tune in and engage with stories, rhymes and songs.
Storybooks
As well as using RWI books we also use the Oxford Reading Tree Scheme to enhance the reading opportunities and for readers to move onto once they have made their way to the end of the RWI series.
Enchanted Hour
There is story time every day in all classes, so that children can hear how a good reader sounds. It is a time for children to enjoy books, while providing language rich experiences and opportunities to develop vocabulary and comprehension skills.
How we Develop a Love of Reading
Half termly challenges– read books in unusual places, design a bookmark of your favourite book, create reading dens.
Early Years – weekly library books for bedtime reading
KS2 children have a weekly Book Club.
Story sacks for special books.
Engage parents in sharing their favourite books
Book give aways
Visit each other’s classes to watch and support each other’s sessions
Have a story time session where classes move to each class to hear a different story
World book day events
Themed days
Summer Reading Challenge at the library (we have had winning readers for the last few years!)
Each class has a range of books, fiction and non-fiction, in a variety of genres and styles and reflecting both genders and the diverse culture of our children.