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TTB Readers
As Readers we are using words and texts to explore real and imagined worlds.
At TPA we love to read!
‘We read to expand our minds, open our eyes and fill our hearts’
We prioritise reading to ensure that all of our children develop a love of reading. By the time pupils leave, they are fluent readers who understand what they read - reading a wide range of genres for their enjoyment.
In school, we have ‘Time to be Readers’ through several different strands during the school day - phonics (Read, Write, Inc), comprehension, vocabulary and fluency (Whole Class Reading), reading for pleasure at home (Accelerated Reader) and reading for pleasure at school (Read Aloud Time).
Every day, teachers share high quality texts to allow children to explore real and imagined worlds. Our reading spine ensures that texts become progressively more complex year on year and that our children meet a wealth of diverse texts, authors, genres and themes.
Children will begin the Read, Write Inc programme in their last term of Nursery class and will remain on the programme until they are reading fluently with a good level of comprehension and speed. Our aim is for the majority of children to be off the scheme by the end of Year 1, however children will continue on the RWI programme until their phonic skills are secure.
Our Whole Class Reading lessons follow the TKAT Progression in Reading for Word Reading and Comprehension, which ensures that pupils build their reading knowledge and skills over time.
As well as our taught reading time, there is time within the school day for children to read their independent reading books and these books are taken home for additional reading time at home. We use Accelerated Reader to ensure that independent reading books are matched to children’s reading development and, through our whole school and class libraries, encourage children to explore a range of genres and interests in their book choices.
Our TTB Writers meets the aims of the national curriculum and ensures that all children at TPA are able to:
- read easily, fluently and with good understanding
- develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
- acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading
- appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
- use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.
Phonics
What is Phonics?
Phonics is a way of teaching children how to read and write. It helps children hear, identify and use different sounds that make up words and to distinguish one word from another in the English language. At Tangmere Primary Academy, we use the Phonics scheme Read, Write Inc (RWI).
What is Read Write Inc?
Read Write Inc (RWI) is a phonics based programme which helps children learn to read whilst also developing a wide range of vocabulary and encouraging a love of stories. It was developed by Ruth Miskin and more information can be found at www.ruthmiskinliteracy.com
The children learn 44 sounds and the corresponding letters/letter groups using simple picture prompts. They learn to read words using sound blending with Fred the Frog after they have learnt the first 5 sounds. Once they are secure with the Set 1 sounds they will be able to read lively stories featuring words they have learned to sound out. Staff use these stories to develop the children’s comprehension of what they have read by leading meaningful discussion and answering a range of questions.
Who is Read Write Inc.for?
The Read Write Inc. programme is for primary school children learning to read. At Tangmere Primary Academy the children will begin the programme in their last term of Nursery class and will remain on the programme until they are reading fluently with a good level of comprehension and speed. Our aim is for the majority of children to be off the scheme by the end of Year 1, however some children will remain on the scheme in Years 3 and 4, if appropriate.
How does it work?
| Nursery Class | In the summer term before starting Reception class the children will be introduced to the characters associated with the RWI programme. |
| Reception Class | Children are first taught the pure ‘set 1 sounds’ so that they will be able to blend the sounds into words more easily. In School we call this ‘Fred Talk’. We do not use letter names at this stage; we simply focus on the sounds.
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| Years 1 and beyond |
The children will complete reading and writing activities for 45mins each day, grouped according to their reading level.
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What will the children bring home?
You can support at home by sharing the books and information below with your child every day.
The children will bring home:
- A RWI sounds book. This will tell you the sound that your child has worked on that day. Please practise writing these letters using the handwriting phrases and use to practise reviewing the sounds that they have learnt so far. (Reception class)
- The RWI book that they have just finished working on in school. Therefore, your child should be able to read the book easily and fluently with expression. Reading at home should be fun and as positive as possible.
- A RWI Book bag book that uses the same phonic patterns as in the book they have been practising at school. We recommend you read this regularly/ daily.
- An information sheet containing the sounds and words that the children are working on in their new book at school. We recommend that you practise these words daily with your child.
- A book from the school library. This book will probably be above their reading level and a book for you to read/ share with your child. This is to develop your child’s interest in books and stories and a love of reading.
- QR Codes - you will be sent home a booklet of QR codes for the sounds sessions that your child will be accessing that half term. Watch these clips together to help reinforce identifying and using these sounds.
How are they assessed?
The children are all assessed each half term to gain a clear insight into the sounds that they have learnt and retained and how well they are using them to blend and read words.
The children are then grouped according to what they know. If a child is making good progress within their RWI group before the assessment week, they will be assessed early to ensure that their progress is not stunted.
A few children who need extra support to maintain progress may work with a trained RWI adult to focus on their area of need.
Whole Class Reading
At Tangmere, we teach skills of word reading, fluency and comprehension in whole class sessions.
At the beginning of a reading unit, a large focus will be on reading the text to fluency, developing an understanding of the words and vocabulary of the text and ensuring that children have the appropriate and necessary background knowledge to be able to make links and understand the context of the text. Time to be Reader lessons have a large focus on oral discussion, allowing pupils to share thoughts and ideas and develop their ability to be able to discuss what they have heard in a constructive way.
Once pupils are familiar with texts, the focus for the learning moves to skills such as: predicting, summarising, clarifying and commenting on word choice and its effect on the reader. To ensure progression over their time at, we follow TKAT’s progression in reading - word reading and comprehension. These documents can be found at the bottom of the page.
Over a year, children will explore whole texts, picture books, extracts and parts of texts, poems and songs - some modern classics and some older texts exposing children to a range of contexts and text structures. Further information about the range of texts children read can be found in our Reading Spines documents at the bottom of the page. These were updated and reviewed annually to ensure that they are of the highest possible quality and allow us to make the best links with the rest of the curriculum
Accelerated Readers
When children are ready to progress from phonics, we use Accelerated Reader to support children to choose books they want to read, as well as being matched closely to their reading ability.
Accelerated Reader is a computer programme that helps teachers to support children’s independent reading practice.
Children are encouraged to choose a book they want to read that is also matched to their reading level. There will be a diverse range of books within this level for the children to choose from.
When a book is finished, children will take a short quiz on a computer. This quiz feedback provides a wealth of information for teachers and pupils to help them set goals for children’s reading and monitor their progress.
Children have time in school to read their independent reading book and this book is also bought home for additional reading practice