Reading strategies are established through individual reading (with teacher, teaching assistant or adult helper) and Whole Class Reading Sessions in groups with their class teacher/teaching assistants.
Whole Class Reading provides an opportunity for the teacher to teach reading in relation to the differentiated needs of pupil groups and to introduce a variety of fiction, non-fiction and poetry texts, which are often beyond the level that children are reading independently. It also provides pupils with strategies for retrieving information from a text and for answering comprehension questions in their classwork and in test situations, with adults modelling the different types of answer.
From Years 2 to 6, children really begin to develop that passion and individuality for reading. Children are encouraged to develop their own reading style and genre preference and choose books from the school and class library that develop their reading skills as well as provide them with enjoyment for reading.
Children in Years 2 to 6 take part in whole class reading, every day. During this time, they work with the teacher and sometimes assistant to develop their understanding of text structure, the authors intent and key vocabulary the author has used to convey meaning.
Each of the classes use the VIPERS approach to reading (from the Literacy Shed) developing the skills in key areas of reading. They focus on fiction in Week One (using the same extract), non-fiction in Week Two (using the same extract) and another choice of text (poetry, play script or visual literacy) in Week Three.
At St Peter's, we believe all children should be exposed to a variety of texts and genres, from classics to poetry and current literature, which they can enjoy. Some of these texts make up our English high-quality curriculum for Writing and others are books we read for pleasure. Our Reading Spine is mapped out purposefully with rich, diverse texts.
The teaching of vocabulary, explicitly and implicitly, is paramount in a child's ability to comprehend and discuss a text. At St Peter's, we encourage children to question words they are unsure of and find ways of understanding the meaning of new words. Our teaching of Latin is supportive in children building blocks to understanding the etymology of words and their original meanings.
We use the 'Tiered’ vocabulary to categorise words into three tiers created by Isabel Beck and Margaret McKeown. Vocabulary lessons are fed through English and Reading lessons weekly. Our wider curriculum, also has a huge emphasis on vocabulary. Children are taught new words each lesson and encouraged to learn these and their meaning in a context