English – Reading

Foundation Stage

When children start school, they will begin to take reading books home and are encouraged to read them to you. Children are put into groups according to how many sounds they know. 

Children read three times a week, with the teacher and with the teaching assistant. The teacher plans both sessions and chooses the books. The guided reading book is sent home and the teacher/TA writes in each child’s reading diary to inform parents which pages are to be read and anything that could be practised at home. Parents are also encouraged to write in the diary.

Children are able to take home a bedtime book from the class library. This is a book of their choice that they can share with somebody at home. During the day we have story time where the teacher reads to the children and discusses the story. Children are also able to bring in a favourite book from home that they would like to share with the class.

Key Stage 1

As children move into KS1 and the Reception classes mix together the teachers together decide how best to group the children. Children read at least once a week with a teacher. The guided reading book is sent home and the teacher/TA writes in each child’s reading diary to inform parents which pages are to be read and anything that could be practised at home.  Parents are also encouraged to write in the diary. Children are also given comprehension activities to complete alongside their reading. Children will also receive a weekly bedtime book. Children have story time where the teacher reads to the children.

Key Stage 2

In Key Stage 2, children move towards whole class guided reading. Children have 3-4 sessions a week based around a novel that they read as a whole class. Children cover skills such as retrieving and recording, summarising, making inferences and making predictions. Children will also look at word choices and how these are used and to make comparisons within the text.

Children are also encouraged to read for pleasure. Children are read to daily by their class teachers and have the opportunity to take books home from our class libraries.