Reading
Reading at home during Lockdown
To support Reading at home your child also has two reading books; one is a decodable book-band book at their reading level and the other one is a library book chosen by them to share with you. We highly recommend reading a book more than once; three times is ideal as you will find that the children develop greater fluency when reading and begin to recognise more words by sight.
If you have access to the internet then please go to:
where you can sign up for a free account from which you can access and read other interactive books that are at the same reading level as your child’s book colour band.
Also, Epic! a digital library is providing instant access to 35,000 of the best books, learning videos, quizzes & more to help keep your child reading while they are at home during school closures. You can access this online resource through:
Check this amazing resource! Free online books for all abilities and tastes. Little ones and grown ups take your pick!
Reading progression skills map
EYFS Key Texts and Literacy Skills Maps
Drapers-Mills Primary Academy Reading
Early Reading (EYFS)
At Drapers-Mills children are taught to read through an immersive approach.
In Nursery we start by introducing children to print within the environment and begin by giving this meaning. Children start by recognising their names, logos and are orally introduced to different sounds (phase 1 phonics).
In Year R children are taught phase 2 phonics within their first term and the knowledge and skills that they are introduced to is underpinned across the curriculum. Teachers introduce key words to children alongside the teaching of phonics and carefully select these to build sentence stems. These sentence stems alongside the skills to decode phonetic words form the curriculum for the teaching of reading. Within every phonic lesson children are taught how to read simple words and sentences. Outside of the phonic lesson the expectations and exposure remain the same. Children are encouraged to read words and sentences during every teaching input.
Every day children develop a love of reading as the teacher reads a book that the children have democratically voted for. In addition to the reading of high quality key texts and other books linked to the topic, the children actively engage in the reading of key words and tricky words daily. This builds the children's common exception word knowledge. These words are saturated within the indoor and outdoor environments.
To support the teaching of reading children take home a home reader which is linked to their phase of phonics. An adult monitors the books going home with the children and each child is heard read weekly to ensure the book is appropriate to their reading level. Children begin on Lilac level and move through the colour bands. Attached below is a document that outlines the colour bands with helpful reading tips for parents at each level.
In addition to home readers children are able to take home a book to share with parents. Alongside their home reader the children are given fortnightly a phonics homework which contains the sounds that they have been exposed to. This is specific to each phonics group.
At Drapers-Mills we teach reading through two schemes Daily Supported Reader in Year 1-2, and Destination Reader in Years 2-6.
Find out a little more about these:
DSR
Accelerating reading levels for all children in Y1
The Daily Supported Reading Programme is a classroom programme that helps to move all children on in their reading. It is delivered initially to Year 1, then eventually introduced into Reception and then for lowest attaining children in Year 2 for maximum impact across the school.
DSR helps children make accelerated progress by working with trained adults in small groups matched to their independent reading levels. This method has a proven track record of success in raising school reading standards as KS1.
Children are benchmarked prior to the project to level according to reading fluency and understanding. DSR uses primarily PM reading books to support, however after level 12 a range of books are included. DSR uses scripts to support and ensure consistency and high quality questioning. Children should read over 70 books per year using this scheme. It is thought that the majority of children will move up a level approximately every 2-3 weeks.
Benefits
- Establishes strong systems for organising reading support
- Ensures that all children make maximum progress in reading
- Provides professional development for staff to improve their provision of reading support
Drapers-Mills DSR Organisation
Our Year 1-2 pupils are split into groups of 6 children. A trained adult supports each group. Adults rotate weekly to maximise support, ensuring high quality teaching.
Adults meet weekly to discuss groupings, levels and key learning points. Further training is provided through these meetings as well. Each child is discussed within the groups and assessments reviewed. Groupings are fluid and changes can be made at any time.
Class teachers select the new texts for the following week for the DSR adults ensuring consistency and progression.
Destination Reader
Developing children's understanding of texts in Y2-6 through the use of strategies and language stems
Destination Reader is a new approach to teaching reading in KS2. The approach involves daily sessions incorporating whole class modelling, prior to the children applying these skills through partner work and independent reading. Children deepen their understanding of the texts they read through the systematic use of a series of strategies and language stems.
Destination Reader is not a scheme or reliant on specific texts, but aims to improve teachers' understanding of pedagogy in reading.
Feedback from the 30 schools currently using the Destination Reader programme has shown improved confidence for both teachers and children in their approach to reading. Children read with greater understanding, independence and, above all, enjoy reading more.
Benefits:
- Provides a systematic approach to the teaching of reading across KS2
- Enables children to develop key strategies which deepen their understanding of texts
- Develops children’s motivation to read broadly for pleasure and purpose
- Increases children’s ability to lead their learning through the acquisition of key learning behaviours
- Places children at the centre of a formative approach to assessment in reading
- This approach can be applied to schools’ existing texts and broader curriculum
Drapers-Mills DR Organisation
At Drapers-Mills we use DR from Years 2 to 6. Teachers introduced the scheme by teaching classes about different learning behaviours – Discuss and explain, support and listen and taking responsibility.
They then move towards the introduction of 7 learning stems – predicting, questioning, clarifying, summarising, evaluating, inferring and making links. Each stem has a week’s focus before moving to the next. Each week children complete 2 ‘Selfies’ – short assessment tasks and 1 ‘Big Picture’ – a longer comprehension assessment task.
Reading with your child
Reading is probably the most important skill that your child will learn in primary school. It opens up a whole new world of learning and imagination. The more you help your child at home, the easier they will find it to develop this vital skill. This page offers some pointers on the best ways to support and encourage your child as they learn to read.
- Reading bedtime stories and enjoying books together.
- Point out words as you are out and about, road signs, shop fronts, posters, price labels and packaging.
- Share a book. Re-read your favourite book night after night.
- Let your child see you reading a book, magazines and newspapers.
- Choose a time when you are both relaxed somewhere quiet.
| Look at the cover together and talk about the book. What do you think this book is about? Have you read one like this before? | Find clues in the pictures as to the meaning of the words. |
| You could give them the first sound to help them or read the word for them if that helps the flow! | Let your child guess if they are nearly right or it makes sense let them go on with the story! |
| Ask your child to tell you about the book they have just read. What do you think is going to happen next? | Draw a picture about your favourite part of the book. Is it the setting or the character? |
| Is your book fiction or non-fiction? What have you learnt? Make a model about your book. | Have you read another book by this author? Why? |
Make time for reading!
Make it fun!
Time together!
Praise your child for getting it right!
'Train Your Brain to Read' bookmark
RED TED
Children can really develop their reading skills if they read every day. It is very helpful for them to read to an adult at home so they can talk about the book with you.
Please make sure you sign your child's contact book every time they read.
Once your child has read ten times at home, they will get a sticker on their book mark. Once they have 5 stickers ( 50 reads), they will be able to come and get RED TED! Every time they complete a book mark ( 5 stickers= 50 reads) then they can come and choose a book to keep. We remind the children that RED TED really loves to listen to stories so the children must read to their bears every day.
Recommended reading books for older children.
2014-15 Budget / spend
English Links
Click on this link to go to the coolest story writing page.
Oxford Owl is a free website that can help you to help your child with reading: www.oxfordowl.co.uk
There are some terrific free resources, over 100 free ebooks for you to share with your child. There are tips for keeping up with reading in the holidays, fun ways of intergratinfg reading into everyday life and a whole host of games and activities for children to enjoy. TAKE A LOOK !
Follow this link to look things up in a Dictionary.