Curriculum

Why learning to read is so important

• Reading is essential for all subject areas and improves life chances.
• Positive attitudes to reading and choosing to read have academic, social and emotional benefits for children.

How children learn to read

• Phonics is the only route to decoding.
• Learning to say the phonic sounds.
• By blending phonic sounds to read words.
• Increasing the child’s fluency in reading sounds, words and books.

Reading fully decodable books

• Children must read books consistent with their phonic knowledge.
• It is essential not to use other strategies to work out words (including guessing words, deducing meaning from pictures, grammar, context clues or whole word recognition).  
• Books must be fully decodable and follow the Little Wandle scheme
• Children need to read books in a progressive sequence until they can decode unfamiliar words confidently.

The role of Parents and Carers 

• Have a positive impact on their child’s reading
• Should model the importance of reading practice to develop fluency.
• Children bring home Little Wandle books each Wednesday. This allows parents to read and be able to celebrate their learning in school that week in phonics and reading. This will support fluency for reading also. Please note, these books should be returned to school each Friday.
• There are two different types of books that pupils read: reading practice books and books to share for pleasure.
• Reading at home encourages a love of books, along with developing vocabulary and discussion.
• Parents should use voices, expression, discuss unfamiliar vocabulary, talk about the pictures, and predict what might happen next.
• Please give positive feedback in the home reading diary in order to support your child, recording reading you have shared together at home and recommending things you have read for pleasure all help to support your child.

Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a huge impact on their reading journey by continuing their practice at home.

Reading practice book

This book has been carefully matched to your child’s current reading level. If your child is reading it with little help, please don’t worry that it’s too easy – your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading.

Listen to them read the book. Remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! If they can’t read a word, read it to them. After they have finished, talk about the book together. Book chat is really important!

Below is a useful link from Little Wandle which will take you to videos that show you how to pronounce the phonemes as we teach them in school.
There are also useful 'How we teach' videos that show you some of the different aspects of direct phonics teaching in school. Finally, there is a section on how to support your child in celebrating reading their reading practice book at home and reading this together for pleasure.

https://www.littlewandlelettersandsounds.org.uk/resources/for-parents/

To find out what your child is learning, access the links below:

Reception and Year One Overview

Reading for Pleasure

In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure and  enjoy a book or other type of reading material they have chosen to share with you.

The children complete lots of reading for pleasure throughout the school day.

Please remember that you shouldn’t expect your child to read alone. Read it to, or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters, explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun!

Reading at the Federation of Kirkby Malzeard & St Nicholas Primary Schools

• Reading for Practice Book (little Wandle, Rapid, KS2 scheme)
• Reading for Pleasure Book (class library, school library, home)
• Class Story Book 
• Book Talk Text (teacher-led)
• School Book Club!