Binley Woods Primary School 

Reading 

Reading Implementation and Impact

We approach reading in two distinct ways: Reading that inspires children, develops vocabulary and understanding of the world and alongside that, teaching the specific skills needed to be a fluent reader.

The school has a rich reading environment which exposes children to a variety of fiction and non-fiction books and help them discover and enjoy the world of famous authors which inspires them to read. We have a rich variety of books; some for children to borrow and read independently at home, some which are used as our core aspirational texts and some which we select for shared story times. These texts are carefully chosen to motivate, inspire, develop thinking and a love of reading.

We also use a range of books at their skill level which enables the children to make progress within wholes class, guided and independent reading sessions. It is within these teaching activities that the skills of reading are actively modelled and developed. These skills include phonics, initial decoding, inference, using pictures, comparing styles and vocabulary, gaining information from texts and analysing different types of writing.

It is by using these two approaches, carefully threaded together that we are not only developing our children as readers but also actively using their knowledge of reading to develop their writing skills.

How it is taught:

• Phonics for reading, taught through Letters and Sounds in years Reception to Year 3. All teachers and TAs are trained and have access to resources
• Individual reading using Reading schemes and real books.
• Use of Accelerated Reader across Key Stage 2 to encourage wider engagement of reading materials within identified ranges, specific development of vocabulary and comprehension through quizzing and teacher assessment.
• Timetabled discreet reading and comprehension lessons.
• Carefully sequenced long term and medium term planning.
• Focussed vocabulary development in foundation subject medium term plans
• Where possible and meaningful, links made to the wider curriculum.
• High quality texts carefully chosen

How reading learning is assessed: 

• Regular formative assessments using books, lessons and using O track formative as a guide to assess and plan next steps 

• Phonics assessments 

• Termly reading ages added to Otrack and assessed for progress 

• Standardised reading tests – Year 2-6 

• Accelerated Reader assessment and progression in reading ranges 

• National standardised tests