We love reading at Race Leys Infant School! We follow the EYFS framework and the National Curriculum.  As our children progress through the school we develop the different strands
of reading:

• Phonics (sounds and word reading)

• Comprehension (understanding)

• Reading for pleasure

 

We use Read Write Inc as our Phonics and Reading as it is a detailed and systematic programme. All children have a daily phonics lesson, where they work in a small group at a level suited to their ability based on assessments. All staff are trained to teach Read Write Inc and regularly receive training.

 

When using RWI to read and spell the children will:

* learn 44 sounds and the corresponding letters/letter groups using simple picture prompts

* learn to read words using Fred Talk, including both real and nonsense words

* learn to spell words by using ‘Fred fingers’

* learn to read common exception words, which have irregular phonemes and spelling patterns

* read lively stories featuring words they have learned to sound out

* show that they comprehend the stories by answering and discussing questions

  

 

The children will be assessed at least every 6 weeks to ensure they are in the correct Read Write Inc group.

 

We believe it is imperative that our children can access the sounds in their reading book so all children will bring home a Read Write Inc scheme ‘Book bag’ book. This is a phonetically decodable reading book that follows the same sounds as their Read Write Inc group. They will read this book, both at school and at home.  The children will also bring home a ‘Bedtime story’ book. This is a high-quality story book to be enjoyed with an adult at home to promote a love of reading and stories.

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We understand the importance that our children develop a love of books. We have regular story times, by class teachers and teaching assistants and our staff also sometimes move round to read their favourite stories to other classes. We know the importance of children regularly hearing the same stories to build their vocabulary, comprehension and fluency so each year group has chosen 10 core stories to enjoy. These are displayed in each classroom and are read regularly, ensuring children develop a deep understanding of each story by the time they transition to the next year group. An example of core books for each year group are as follows:

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• Reception – Owl Babies by Martin Waddell

• Year One – The Baddies by Julia Donaldson

• Year Two – Look up by Nathan Bryon

 

We raise the profile of reading by celebrating World Book Day with many events across the whole week including reading breakfasts and dress up days. We also have a yearly visit from a published author. This year, Caryl Hart will return to our school and complete workshops with our children. In previous years, Chloe Inkpen and the poet, Andy Tooze came to share their work.

 

Each year, we also participate in other special reading events including our reading picnic and our bedtime story event. Through all of our events in school, we aim to promote the importance of reading as well as the joy reading can bring to us.

 

Every class has an exciting book area, we also have a library which each class visits once per week and the school celebrates reading in displays around the school. We also have the weekly Hideaway Bookshop, where children can save up for books.

 

All children have the opportunity to receive a special star and certificate as part of our rainbow reading scheme. Once a child has read 25 times they receive a red star and for each 25 times after this they receive the next colour star in the rainbow. This is celebrated in the school hall during celebration assembly and the stars are displayed on the reading rainbow.

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