ENGLISH – READING 

Why do we teach what we teach? (Our intent)

At Oak Green, we believe that reading gives you the ability to think, communicate, and make connections with the wider world. It also allows you to explore other worlds, developing your imagination. Reading allows children to develop an understanding of others and to build empathy. It also enables children to develop their sense of belonging as they can identify and relate to characters in books. At Oak Green we use books to support children with their emotional wellbeing and through times of adversity as part of our nurturing approach. Reading is also a vital tool to accessing information and gaining new knowledge which is an essential life skill. We aim to develop passionate readers who choose to read for a variety of purposes, have an understanding of rich and varied language and can evaluate and critique what they have read.Through exploring a breadth of genres, we enable our students to achieve their best within the National Curriculum and our wider curriculum offer such as exploring the historical and cultural context of literature. We ensure that our pupils are immersed in a wealth of texts and the experiences that enable them to understand them and develop their reading skills. We have ensured our curriculum for reading supports the needs and diversity of the community in which we serve. We aim for all pupils to leave Oak Green having achieved their personal best in reading and are ready for their next steps in life. 

How do we teach it? (Our implementation)

From Early Years to Year 2, pupils receive daily phonics lessons based on the Read, Write Inc. programme. This phonic development program builds on pupils’ knowledge to ensure they are able to read with greater fluency and understanding.  In EYFS children engage with stories daily through Talk Through Stories. 

From Year 1 to Year 6, the speedy recognition of words and decoding of unfamiliar words, as well as the strategies for understanding a text are explicitly taught in a weekly comprehension lesson. Comprehension skills develop through pupils’ experience of high-quality discussion with the teacher, as well as from reading and discussing a range of stories, poems and non-fiction texts that have been mapped against each year group. 

The children also make connections between texts and their own experiences. We use questioning to ensure pupils reach age-related expectations, and beyond, and that they are well challenged.  

In Key Stage 2 we do 3 whole class reading sessions a week using FRED’s teaching. We also do one Book Talk session a week to ignite a love of reading and deeper understanding of texts and 1 Prosody session to teach children how to read with fluency and expression.

To establish an appreciation and love of reading, and to gain knowledge across the curriculum, each year group has a core set of carefully selected texts that can be used as inspiration for writing.  All pupils are encouraged to read widely across both fiction and non-fiction to develop their knowledge of themselves and the world in which they live. They are regularly encouraged to share their recommendations to the class and wider school community.  Staff create a sense of awe and wonder through memorable and immersive experiences to launch the start of reading a new text.

What is the difference that this makes? (Our impact)

When pupils leave Oak Green they have experienced a wealth of immersive opportunities linked to a wide range of texts, allowing them to develop their reading skills. Exposure to rich and varied language enables pupils to move into the wider world being able to express themselves through a range of media. Through reading, children have developed their emotional intelligence and imaginative skills whilst building their understanding of the world around them. Pupils are passionate about reading and achieve well following the National Curriculum and wider Oak Green curriculum.