“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” - Dr Seuss

At Compass Primary Academy, we believe that the teaching of reading is integral to a child’s understanding and appreciation of the world around them; a platform that allows our children to see beyond what they know, share in cultural experiences and develop the vocabulary they need to effectively express themselves. Our reading curriculum strives to foster a lifelong love of reading.  We cultivate the behaviours that they will need to be discerning readers as they read frequently and widely using self-regulation strategies and discuss what they read. 

Our curriculum is delivered through synthetic phonics, a linked approach to shared and whole-class reading, home reading, reading across the curriculum, regular opportunities for independent reading and hearing quality texts read aloud every day. All of these are essential components as they offer the range of opportunities needed to develop fluent, enthusiastic and critical readers. 

It is important that children are motivated to read at home regularly; when their reading opportunities increase, so does their fluency and stamina which in turn increases their enjoyment of reading. Therefore, the link between children’s motivation to read and reading for pleasure is reciprocal. Furthermore, we know that reading pleasure is beneficial not only for not only reading outcomes, but for wider learning enjoyment and mental wellbeing. Thus, we work hard to foster a love of independent reading and build communities of engaged readers. We understand the significance of parents and carers in supporting their children to develop both word reading and comprehension skills, so we endeavour to build a home-school partnership which enables parents and carers to have the confidence to support their children with reading at home. 

Reading is at the very heart of our curriculum. We are committed to promoting a love for reading and not only giving children opportunities to read in English lessons, but in the wider curriculum too.

Reading Implementation:

Learning to read is one of the most important things a child will ever learn. It underpins everything else, so we believe in putting as much energy as we possibly can into making sure that every single child learns to read as quickly as possible. We also want our children to develop a real love of reading and to want to read for themselves. This is why we work hard to make sure children develop a love of books as well as simply learning to read.  

To do this, we have ensure the following:

- All our staff are seen as reading teachers. We have designated staff that act as advocates of reading and attend CPD, which is disseminated to all staff at regular times throughout the year. 

- Reading is explicitly taught during a dedicated 'Reading Week' ahead of an English sequence. The sequence incorporates the research of Christopher Such which focuses on fleuncy, extended read and close reading.

- Reading is threaded through our writing sequence where high-quality literature is used to engage children. Our children are taught to 'read as a reader' and 'read as a writer'.

- All children are read to daily by an adult within a timetabled slot.

- All children are heard by an adult periodically, prioritising those that need it daily. 

- Every week we have a Book of the Week which exposes children to texts that thread a 'mirrors and windows' approach.

- Access to a library which stores a diverse range of books.

- Every classroom has a designated mini library which homes a range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry (based on the 50 Recommended Reads from Books for Topics)

- Targeted interventions to support children who need extra support. This is done through Fast Track Tutoring, Switched on Reading, Reciprocal Reading and Comprehension Catch Ups. 

- Promoting reading within school and within our local community

- Working closely with local libraries and authors to promote reading. 

Reading books:

Children at our school take home various books to support our intent.

In EYFS and KS1, children are given three reading books to take home. These are given out on a Monday, and need to be returned the following Monday. 

Book 1 - Black and white books

These books are as the title says. They are a black and white paper copy of the book your child is reading in their phonics session. They start a new phonics book on a Monday and read the same book for 5 days. This improves their fluency and understanding of the story. Please share this story with your child as it is one they will be familiar with and will be more confident at reading.

Book 2 - Book bag book

This is the coloured book. It matches the phonic ability that your child is at so they can sound out the words to help them to read it. Please read this book as many times as possible so that your child increases their fluency. Reading a book 2 or 3 times can really build a child’s confidence as they become familiar with the words.

Book 3 - Read for Pleasure book

This book may not be at your child’s reading ability but it is a book they have chosen out of interest. They may just want to look at the pictures; they may want to make up their own story, or they may want you to read the book to/with them. This book is for your child to enjoy and to build their love of reading.

In KS2, children are given two reading books to take home. These are given out on a Monday and need to be returned the following Monday. 

Book 1 - Accelerated Reader books 

These books match the reading age/comprehension age that your child is at. This level is assessed regularly throughout the year. Once your child has completed their book, they will quiz on it. Your child can quiz at: https://ukhosted85.renlearn.co.uk/2245947/ We do ask that your child reads this book several times (if it is a thin book) or carefully if it is a novel. Reading a book 2 or 3 times can really build a child’s confidence, as they become familiar with the words and the concepts of the text.

Book 2 - Read for Pleasure book

This book may not be at your child’s reading ability, but it is a book they have chosen out of interest. They may just want to look at the pictures/read at their leisure; they may want to make up their own story or they may want you to read the book to/with them. This book is for your child to enjoy and to build their love of reading.

How to support your child at home: