At Cradoc we use the Read Write Inc Scheme to teach reading in Foundation Phase and guided reading in KS2.

Children will be introduced to phonics in Nursery and will be encouraged to handle books and discover how they work.  They will have stories read to them and will join in with actions, repetitions etc.

When the children are ready they will start to participate in Read, Write Inc sessions.  In these sessions the teacher or learning support assistant will work with a small group to develop the children’s phonics (see Phonics) and use this knowledge to start to develop children’s reading, using the Red Ditties.  As they progress, the children move through the coloured levels (see below), beginning to introduce sentence writing in the Green books (see writing).

To support these books (which stay at school), we use the Oxford Reading Tree books and class library books, which the children are encouraged to take home.  Children are supported to change their books in Nursery but are increasingly encouraged to change their books on their own and expected to do so independently by Y1.  Parents are encouraged to hear their child read for 5 to 10 minutes each evening and to write a brief comment in their child’s reading record.  If your child is finding something particularly difficult, or easy, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can help your child quickly.

We ensure consistency and progression between the different the different schemes we are using by careful selection of relevant books.  The guide below may help to explain how they correlate.

In KS2, teaching of reading is done mainly through Guided Reading, which happens in each class on a weekly basis.  Children are grouped according to ability and during these sessions they work with a teacher or learning support assistant to explore the book, discuss the themes and contents and develop their comprehension.  Sometimes, pupils are asked to read a particular section ready for the next session.

Once children progress to Y3 (and sometimes before) they are expected to select from “the reading jungle” (school library).  Pupils are regularly assessed and agree an animal band with their teacher.  They receive their animal bookmark, which provides hints on how to progress to the next animal, and they can then freely select from the animal band of books in the library.

Even though your child is able to read independently, it is always helpful to read with your child from time to time.  Not only does it help you to see the progress your child is making, it also lets your child see that you value reading.