Learning to read is the most important thing your child will learn at our school. Everything else depends on it, so we put as much energy as we possibly can into making sure that every single child learns to read as quickly as possible. 

We want your child to love reading – and to want to read for themselves. This is why we put our efforts into making sure they develop a love of books as well as simply learning to read.

'All pupils must be encouraged to read widely across both fiction and non-fiction to develop their knowledge of themselves and the world in which they live, to establish an appreciation and love of reading, and to gain knowledge across the curriculum. Reading also feeds pupils’ imagination and opens up a treasure-house of wonder and joy for curious young minds.'

National Curriculum 2014

Making a Strong Start using Read Write Inc.

Right from the beginning of Reception, we use Read Write Inc. Phonics which is a highly successful English programme created by Ruth Miskin. All Reading Teachers at St. Joseph’s have received training and support from Ruth Miskin Training, rated Outstanding by the Department for Education, to ensure we meet our aim for all children to become confident and enthusiastic readers.

The Read Write Inc. Phonics programme is carefully matched to the curriculum, giving every child at St. Josephs' Catholic Primary the best chance of success.

Reception to Year 2 children are taught using Read Write Inc. Phonics as the main EYFS and KS1 early reading programme but it is also taught as an intervention for children in Years 3 and 4.

In addition to this, Read Write Inc. Fresh Start is a phonics programme with more age appropriate resources for older children which we use as and when required in Years 5 and 6.

Read Write Inc. Progression Grid

Please see the table below for expected progress term-by-term for Read Write Inc. Phonics in EYFS and KS1.

How can you support your child?

During the academic year, we hold regular parent workshops for early reading. We also have more information on the individual class pages.

Follow the link below to read out parent booklets for more information on RWI Phonics and how you can support your child at home.

For further information and tutorials on how to support your child learning to read from Ruth Miskin, go to: http://www.ruthmiskin.com/en/parents/

Guided Reading

Our guided reading approach is informed by extensive research into comprehension strategy instruction, as recommended by the EEF. 

The aims of the sessions are to engage with texts, respond to them, talk about them and developing deeper understanding (comprehension).

Once children have completed RWI Phonics, they take part in daily guided reading sessions.

During the sessions, we focus on developing the key comprehension strategies through careful modelling and supported practice.

The sessions utilise a wide variety of texts and seek to: 

• Encourage critical and evaluative thinking through use of open prompts, questions and invitations
• Encourage reference to the text to support their thinking
• Build towards group dialogue
• Encourage personal responses from the children
• Enable children to support their opinions with evidence from the text and to change and adapt their ideas in response to others

Home Reading

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”

― Emilie Buchwald

Key findings from the evidence include:

• Parental involvement in a child’s literacy has been reported as a more powerful force than other family background variables, such as social class, family size and level of parental education (Flouri and Buchanan, 2004 – cited in Clark and Rumbold, 2006);

• Children whose home experiences promote the view that reading is a source of entertainment are likely to become intrinsically motivated to read (Baker, Serpell and Sonnenschein, 1995 – cited in Clark and Rumbold, 2006);

• Children are more likely to continue to be readers in homes where books and reading are valued (Baker and Scher, 2002 – cited in Clark and Rumbold, 2006).

Reading Books Coming Home

Access to reading materials at the correct level is vital in setting children up to succeed in reading. Carefully matched reading books will be sent home for your children to read independently or read to you. 

They will know all of the sounds used in the text because they match the sounds in the books they are being taught in class. This means they will be able to read the text with fluency and confidence – like a storyteller. They will enjoy reading to someone else or to themselves.

This does not mean the text is too easy for them – it means they are reading at the correct level. We do not send texts home the children cannot read because we always want them to be set up to succeed in their reading.

EYFS and KS1

Read Write Inc story book - This is the book that has been read in the phonics session throughout the week.  Children will have read this book at least 3 times and will be reading it fluently and expressively by the time they bring it home to you.  They will be excited to share it with you, reading using their best story teller voice.  This book will be changed once a week.

Read Write Inc. Book Bag Book – This book is matched to the story book that they bring home.  It will have a similar theme and the same sound focus.  However, children will not have read this book at school, so this is a chance for them to apply their skills to a new text.  This book will be changed at the same time as the other story book, once a week.  

Library book - In addition, your child in EYFS or KS1 will also have a school 'library' book that they have selected from the classroom library.  It may be a book that they have enjoyed listening to the teacher read or it may be new to them.  This is a book for you to read with them and enjoy and to really help develop that love of reading.

Please click the link below for ten top tips when reading with your child.