Reading at OLOR

A guide for parents

Our school is systematic in teaching reading, to ensure that every child will leave for secondary school with certain key competencies in reading. Teachers take responsibility for the following:

word-reading skills (being able to de-code and read words):

• phonic decoding skills (through the teaching of phonics up to & including phase 5)
• the quick recognition of ‘common exception words’ (tricky words)

comprehension skills (being a reader who can discuss what they have read):

• understanding vocabulary (including using context to work out the meaning of unknown words and explaining how the words used add to the meaning of the text)
• retrieving information
• summarising the main points
• making inferences (ie looking for clues about how someone might be feeling or why something is happening)
• predicting what might happen next
• comparing events and characters
• using evidence from the text to justify these.

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Where it all begins.

Word-reading: Phonic decoding skills (Phonics)

The first step on every child’s journey is systematic phonics teaching, continuing throughout Key Stage 1, ensuring every child can read.

Learning to decode fluently and accurately will allow children to become confident readers, able to access all the enjoyment and excitement books can bring.

In addition to the direct and systematic teaching of word-reading knowledge and skills, children need to listen to books and stories to develop their comprehension, making links between books and their developing knowledge of the world.

Where it all begins.

Word-reading: Phonic decoding skills

In Key Stage 1, ‘Phonics’ lessons are taught daily, using the Q Phonics programme. Sessions are pacy, rigorous and around 20 minutes long.

Our reading bands are directly linked to each phase of our Phonics teaching.

Children will bring home decodable reading books which are closely aligned to the sounds they have been taught up to that point. This gives children confidence as readers.

The next slides show the progression of sounds and how these relate to our reading bands.

Progression of sounds aligned to reading bands

Click here for the Phase 2 sounds exemplification video

Click here for the Phase 3 sounds exemplification video

Progression of sounds aligned to reading bands

By the end of key Stage 1, most children will be secure in all the phonics phases.

Expectations for reading at school & home: Reception

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At school, children in EYFS will have a daily phonics lesson and read to an adult individually twice a week. The highlights indicate our expectations for support at home.

Children in EYFS will have one decodable* book sent home twice a week. This book will be closely aligned to the sounds which have been taught up to that point in class. Each book must be read to an adult at home and the reading record book completed to confirm that reading has taken place.

As well as these three books, they will bring home ONE sharing book to read for pleasure. This will not be a reading scheme book but one that parents can read to children, modelling the joy of reading, pointing out any familiar words, discussing the pictures and asking questions about the story as you go along.

For more ideas about books to read for pleasure please take a look at:

National Literacy Trust Book Recommendations for Children & Young People

*Decodable means a book which contains the sounds taught so far.

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Expectations for reading at school & home: Year 1

At school, children in Year 1 will have a Phonics lesson each day and read to an adult once a week. Children who are working below age-related expectations will read to an adult every day. Here are our expectations for support at home:

Children in Year 1 will have two decodable books sent home once a week. These books will contain the phonics which have been taught up to that point in class. Each book must be read to an adult at home and the reading record book signed to confirm that reading has taken place.

As well as these two books, they will bring home ONE sharing book to read for pleasure. This will not be a reading scheme book but one that parents can read to children, modelling the joy of reading, pointing out any familiar words, discussing the pictures and asking questions about the story as you go along.

For more ideas about books to read for pleasure please take a look at:

National Literacy Trust Book Recommendations for Children & Young People

*Decodable means a book which contains the sounds taught so far. Books may also contain some additional ‘tricky’ words.

Useful questions for reading: Year 1

Click here for further examples of questions for Years 1 and 2

Expectations for reading at school & home: Year 2

Children in Year 2 will have a daily Phonics lesson in the autumn term, then move to spelling lessons three times a week thereafter, although phonics flashcards are used for revision every day. Children will have regular opportunities to read in class when exploring whole class texts. Children who are still working within Phase 4/5a read daily with an adult. All other children read with an adult at least once a week. Children who did not pass phonics screening in Year 1 have daily phonics interventions. Here are our expectations for support at home:

Children in Year 2 will have two *decodable books sent home once a week. These books will consolidate the phonic sounds which have been taught. Each book must be read to an adult at home and the reading record book completed to confirm that reading has taken place.

As well as these books, they will bring home ONE sharing book to read for pleasure. This will not be a reading scheme book but one that parents can read to children, modelling the joy of reading, pointing out any familiar words, discussing the pictures and asking questions about the story as you go along.

For more ideas about books to read for pleasure please take a look at:

National Literacy Trust Book Recommendations for Children & Young People *Decodable means a book which contains the sounds taught so far. Books may also contain some additional ‘tricky’ words.

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Useful questions for reading: Year 2

Click here for further examples of questions for Years 1 and 2

Expectations for reading at school & home: Year 3

Children in Year 3 will have weekly spelling lessons and regular opportunities to practise and learn spellings through Early morning work, handwriting practise, Literacy starters and homework.

Most children will no longer need phonics teaching but interventions and support will be put in place to help those with gaps in their learning. Children will have regular opportunities to read in class when exploring whole class texts. Here are our expectations for reading at home:

Children in Year 3 will have two reading books sent home once a week. Most children will be secure in their knowledge of phonics by this stage, so reading books will include all the sounds from phases 1-5. Each book must be read to an adult at home and the reading record book completed to confirm that reading has taken place.

As well as these books, we strongly encourage children to read outside of the scheme with their parents. When sharing books together, parents should model the joy of reading, point out and discuss any unfamiliar words and ask questions about the book using the prompts on the next slide.

For more ideas about books to read for pleasure please take a look at:

National Literacy Trust Book Recommendations for Children & Young People

(Please see slide 16 for a note on ‘free readers’).

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Useful questions for reading: Year 3

Click here for further examples of questions for Key Stage 2.

Expectations for reading at school & home: Years 4,5 and 6

At school, children in Years 4, 5 and 6 will have weekly spelling lessons and regular opportunities to practise spelling through Early Morning work, Literacy starters and homework tasks. Children are taught how to use a dictionary to check and correct their own spelling as well as to look up the meanings of new vocabulary they encounter in the books they read. Children have regular opportunities to read in class when exploring whole class texts together in depth. Children who are working below age-related expectations will read to an adult individually one or more times a week, as needed. Here are our expectations for support at home:

Although most children will have worked their way through the reading scheme by Year 3 or 4 and will be ‘free readers’, they will continue to work through the banded free reader books (brown, grey, blue, dark red and black). Teachers will review when children are ready to select books from the next free reader band. Free readers should continue to read to an adult at home two-three times a week as well as reading silently and independently every day. Parents should focus on reading comprehension skills, using the questions on the next slide and discussing what has just been read as they share a book together. For more ideas about books to read for pleasure please take a look at: National Literacy Trust Book Recommendations for Children & Young People

Useful questions for reading: Year 4

Click here for further examples of questions for Key Stage 2.

Useful questions for reading: Year 5 & 6

Click here for further examples of questions for Key Stage 2.

15 tips to help your child read:

• Read yourself! Let your children see that you enjoy books and keep them at home.
• Keep books safe. Make your child their own special place to keep their books. Show them how to turn pages carefully.
• Point out words all around you. Help your child to read the words around them: on food packets in the supermarket, on buses, in newspapers, in recipes.
• Visit your library – it’s free to join! All libraries have children’s sections. Many also have regular storytelling sessions.
• Make time to read. Read a bedtime story with your child every night.
• Keep in touch with school. Make sure your child swaps their home reading books regularly at school. Try to make time to hear them read often so you know how they’re doing.
• If English is not your family’s first language, you can buy dual language books. You can talk about books and stories in any language.
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15 tips to help your child read:

• Be positive. Praise your child for trying hard at their reading. Let them know it’s okay to make mistakes.
• Give them time. Let them make a guess before you tell them a word.
• Turn off the TV! It's easier for your child to concentrate if there are no distractions.
• Encourage them to follow the words with their finger as they read.
• Let them read their favourites. It's good practice to read the same books over and over again.
• Ask lots of questions. Check they understand the story by asking them questions about what happens. Use the pictures to explain what's happening.
• Don’t read for too long. A good 10 minutes is better than a difficult half hour.
• Organise activities at home that include reading, like a treasure hunt around the house on a rainy day. Give your child a list of things that they can find in the house and see how quickly they can collect all the items.

Reading at OLOR

Thank you, OLOR parents, for all your support with reading!