Intent- Reading for Understanding and Comprehension at Parkfield

“So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install a lovely bookshelf on the wall.” - Roald Dahl

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” - Walt Disney

Recent research to inform practice:

In the recent research and analysis ‘Telling the story: the English education subject report (2024) it states to make sure that the curriculum takes full account of the foundational knowledge and skills outlined in the National Curriculum that pupils need in reading, writing and spoken language to carry out more complex tasks; provide sufficient high-quality opportunities to practise these key components in the planned curriculum. Moreover, it says to plan a reading curriculum that over time building pupils’ reading fluency, linguistic knowledge and knowledge of the world, and that does not limit them to responding to exam-style questions. In addition, it suggests to encourage pupils to read a wide range of books once they are fluent readers to build a reading habit. Finally, it encourages helping those pupils who enter key stages 2 unable to read fluently to catch up quickly. This includes making sure that teaching addresses specific gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge or provides additional practice for pupils who have accurate knowledge, but still read too slowly to absorb information effectively.

The KS1 EEF (2021) recommends that reading comprehension can be improved by teaching pupils’ specific strategies to support them with inferencing and self-monitoring their understanding. • These include: — prediction; — questioning; — clarifying; — summarising; and — activating prior knowledge. • Teachers could introduce these strategies using modelling and structured support, which should be strategically reduced as a child progresses until they are capable of completing the activity independently. Interestingly, the KS2 EEF (2021) states to teach specific strategies that pupils can apply to monitor and overcome barriers to comprehension. These include: — prediction (based on text content and context); — questioning; — clarifying; — summarising; and — activating prior knowledge. • Model and scaffold these strategies; then support pupils to increasingly use reading comprehension strategies independently, with less and less prompting from the teacher. • Texts should be carefully selected to support the teaching of these strategies. The Reading Framework (2023) states that reading across the curriculum contributes to reading culture and pupils are motivated to read related fiction and non-fiction in their own time. Moreover, it encourages teachers to read aloud to their class to model fluency, explain unfamiliar words and build background knowledge. It states that all pupils benefit from class reading time, where teachers can use class reading time to support pupils, listening to them read, discussing texts.

At Parkfield Primary School, all pupils are encouraged to read widely across both fiction and non-fiction texts 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. We believe that reading feeds pupils’ imagination and opens up a treasure-house of wonder and joy for curious young minds. It is therefore our aim to enable children to become confident, successful readers and to gain love and enjoyment from a wide range of literature.

English has a pre-eminent place in education and in society. A high-quality education in English will teach pupils to speak and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them.

Through reading in particular, pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Literature, especially, plays a key role in such development. Reading also enables pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know.

All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society: pupils, therefore, who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised.

It is essential that, by the end of their primary education, all pupils are able to read fluently, and with confidence, in any subject in their forthcoming secondary education.

The national curriculum states that:

The overarching aim for English in the national curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.

The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:

• 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, writing and spoken language
• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
• 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.

Implementation

Reading Framework (2023) Reading comprehension draws from pupils ‘linguistic knowledge (in particular of vocabulary and grammar) and on knowledge of the world.’ It also depends on fluent word reading. A key purpose of guided reading, therefore, is to help pupils to draw on their background knowledge to construct a coherent mental model of what they are reading or listening to.

Reading is an integral part of our school curriculum and is prominent through the school and through the school’s daily diet. Reading for fluency is of the up most importance during EYFS and Year 1, in addition to early reading skills and comprehension across EYFS and Key Stage 1. We understand fluency is essential for pupils’ reading comprehension. Accurate decoding is assured before pupils move on to read a new book. Teachers explain the meaning of new words to pupils to increase their vocabulary and quicken their reading of words at a glance. Pupils, from the earliest stage, re-read books to practise and improve their fluency. In all lessons, teachers provide practice in decoding unfamiliar words from a text pupils are about to read and explain their meaning.

Comprehension draws from linguistic knowledge (in particular vocabulary and grammar) and on knowledge of the world. Comprehension skills develop through pupils’ experience of high-quality discussion with the teacher, as well as from reading and discussing a range of stories, poems and non-fiction.

All pupils must be encouraged to read widely across both fiction, non-fiction and poetry 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 widely and often increases pupils’ vocabulary because they encounter words they would rarely hear or use in everyday speech.

Our reading curriculum provides pupils with a wide range of poetry, stories and non-fiction texts to read in school and at home to enhance vocabulary development and background knowledge. Finally, teachers read aloud to pupils, across the curriculum, providing a model of fluency and prosody.

Early Years Foundation Stage

Our Reading programme of study begins in EYFS. The EYFS framework is structured very differently to the National Curriculum as it is organised across seven areas of learning rather than subject areas.  The most relevant Early Years outcomes for Reading are taken from Communication and Language and Literacy - which are the prerequisite skills for reading within the National Curriculum.

There is a strong focus on the characteristics of effective learning which includes Playing and Exploring, Active Learning and Creating and Thinking Critically. When children have reached their Early Learning Goals, they can: answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences; demonstrate understanding when talking with others about what they have read; use vocabulary and forms of speech that are increasingly influenced by their experiences of books; listen to stories, accurately anticipating key events and responding to what they hear with relevant comments, questions or actions.

In EYFS, Literacy involves encouraging children to read and write, both through listening to others reading, and being encouraged to begin to read and write themselves. Children must be given access to a wide range of reading materials such as books, poems, and other written materials to ignite their interest.

The Early Learning Goal for Reading Comprehension is:

• Demonstrate understanding of what has been read to them by retelling stories and narratives using their own words and recently introduced vocabulary;
• Anticipate – where appropriate – key events in stories; and understand recently introduced vocabulary during discussions about stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems and during role-play.
• Use and understand recently introduced vocabulary during discussions about stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems and during role play.

Guided Reading - EYFS

All children take part in guided reading time to consolidate phonemes taught and develop reading for understanding. We use texts linked to the phonemes that the children have been focussing on that week. In addition to a linked book (mini book), children also have opportunities in continuous provision to use and apply phonics knowledge in a variety of ways. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, guided reading time encourages early comprehension skills of: prediction, retrieval and inference and consolidating letters and sounds knowledge.

 Key Stage 1 - Guided Reading

Guided Reading is carefully structured with a clear learning objective involving the application of new skills in context. It includes direct teaching and is tailored to specific needs of individuals or groups.

In Key Stage One, pupils will initially be part of small group guided reading sessions throughout the week, these are organised by phonics knowledge so that children can decode what they’re reading. Guided reading sessions are organised where each child will have the opportunity for an adult led session where they focus on a book linked to the phonics sound taught during that week as part of our Twinkl Phonics scheme.

An adult led session will include the following:

• Book introduction & prediction
• Teaching focus and strategy check ( re-cap sounds that they have been learning/should know & model unfamiliar words and discuss meaning)
• Independent reading – children can read aloud in a group
• Return and respond to the text – ask and answer questions

We ensure that we cover all National Curriculum Learning objectives- see below:

UNDERSTAND IT! - Draw on knowledge of vocabulary to understand texts

FIND IT! - Identify/explain key aspects of fiction and non-fiction texts, such as characters, events, titles and information

SEQUENCE IT! - Identify and explain the sequence of events in texts

THINK ABOUT IT! - Make inferences from the text

PREDICT IT! - Predict what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far

We put great emphasis on early reading skills and follow Twinkl’s phonics progression map. In Year 1, children should be learning Phase 5 phonics in preparation for the Phonics Screening Check in June. By Spring Term 2, we aim to teach a whole class guided reading approach, where children are exposed to different genres of texts linked to either English, poetry or across the curriculum. We want to ensure children are fully immersed in the curriculum they’re learning and are also exposed to the genres of narrative, non-fiction and poetry. We guide children in different question types and the skills to answer these questions and work towards children answering questions independently by the end of Year 1 in preparation for Year 2.

In Year 2, the majority of children will have passed their Phonics Screening Check so they will be able to read with increased fluency. We aim to continue to teach a whole class guided reading approach to continue to reinforce teaching the skills of reading. We link these reading skills to characters to give children a ‘hook’. Please see below:

Whole class guided reading sessions are taught across the week and focus on a particular content domains and skill per day. Below is an outline of how it is taught:

Vocabulary: Draw on knowledge of vocabulary to understand texts

Retrieval: Identify/explain key aspects of fiction and non-fiction texts, such as characters, events, titles and information

Inference: Make inferences from the text

Sequence: Identify and explain the sequence of events in texts

Prediction skills are embedded throughout the week.

To challenge children, we encourage them to make links to what they have read before and if something similar has happened to them. We also encourage them to discuss similarities and differences between books they’re reading/have read.

Key Stage Two - Guided Reading

As the children move throughout Key Stage 2, the texts are increasingly more challenging to ensure there is progression. Guided Reading texts can be both ‘curriculum-based’ to immerse the children in their topic- to increase background knowledge and vocabulary, or unrelated to ensure coverage of the reading curriculum.

Guided Reading sessions focus on teaching National Curriculum content domains- below is an outline of the different strands:

UNDERSTAND IT! - Give/explain the meaning of words in context

FIND IT! - Retrieve and record information/identify key details from fiction and non-fiction

SUMMARISE IT! - Summarise main ideas from more than one paragraph

THINK ABOUT IT! - Make inferences from the text/Explain and justify inferences with evidence from the text

PREDICT IT! - Predict what might happen from details stated and implied

CONNECT IT!  - Identify/explain how information/narrative content is related and contributes to the meaning as a whole

LOOK AT IT AND LISTEN TO IT! - Identify and explain how meaning is enhanced through choice of words and phrases

COMPARE IT! - Make comparisons within the text

At Parkfield we have reading characters for each strand. This is a fun way in which to teach children the skills of reading and they have a hook on which to remember.

In Key Stage 2, we teach whole class. In Lower Key Stage 2, children are taught four lessons per week covering a specific strand of reading. Below is an outline of what each lesson consists of:

Vocabulary: Understand unfamiliar words/build vocabulary and discuss author’s choice of words if appropriate.

Retrieval: Be taught the skills of how to retrieve and record information/identify key details from fiction and non-fiction.

Inference: Learn how to infer and deduce and justify answers by clues within the text.

The fourth lesson is a mixture of prediction, summary, comparing and connecting ideas and is taught to reflect the skills needed to answer these questions.

When the children reach upper Key Stage 2, guided reading lessons consist of a mixture of strands. The children use and apply their knowledge of different question types to enable them to answer questions and begin to develop an awareness of different question types and when they need to elaborate further by supporting their answer with evidence from the text. Teachers model this and lessons are guided with opportunities for children to read and be read to- modelling fluency and prosody.

Cultural Capital

We acknowledge that every child has a different starting point through life experiences and communication and language. We pride ourselves on equality and equity and it is our responsibility to ensure all children can read fluently and for understanding by the time they leave us. When children join us in EYFS every child is assessed against the Reception Baseline. We understand that communication and language is vital, so for those children who need it- they have a 20-week NELI programme to improve their communication and language skills. In addition to this, all children in EYFS take part in a daily whole-class NELI programme as part of their communication and language development. We understand the importance of fluency for comprehension, so for those children who need phonics- we have daily interventions to support this.

As well as phonics, we also ensure that comprehension is taught at an appropriate level- linked to phonics knowledge. Specific reading comprehension interventions are also delivered by teachers - linked to assessments.

Enrichment

• Two book fayres take place each year (November and March)
• Celebrate and participate in World Book Day events.
• Invited authors to read to children.
• Invited storytellers in to inspire year groups linked to topics.
• BookFlix display to spotlight books on trend.

How is reading assessed?

We use both formative and summative approaches to assess reading. Formative approaches are in the form of high-quality questioning: in guided reading lessons, class reading sessions and 1-1 reading time. Staff react to misconceptions in guided reading sessions and using judgements to plan for the following week.

Summative approaches include a half-termly reading progress check for Year 1-6 (incl. practice SATs papers in Year 6) to inform planning for the following term.

Statutory Assessments

EYFS Assessments

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) profile summarises and describes children’s attainment at the end of the EYFS.

It gives:

• the child’s attainment in relation to the 17 early learning goal (ELG) descriptors
• a short narrative describing the child’s 3 characteristics of effective learning. Teachers’ assessments are primarily based on observing a child’s daily activities and events.

In particular, practitioners note the learning that a child demonstrates spontaneously, independently and consistently in a range of contexts. On-going assessment is an integral part of the learning and development process. It involves teachers observing children to understand their level of attainment, interests and learning styles, and to then shape learning experiences for each child reflecting those observations.

When compiling the profile, teachers must review the evidence gathered in order to make a judgement for each child and for each ELG.

The judgement must say whether the child’s learning and development is:

• best described by the level of development expected at the end of the EYFS (‘expected’)
• not yet at the level of development expected at the end of the EYFS (‘emerging’)

Year 1 Phonics Screening

All children will take a part in the Year 1 Phonics Screening test, which is in June every year. Children who do not pass the test will have another opportunity to take the test in Year 2. Any child who does not pass in Year 1 and 2 will have extra phonics intervention.

Optional Key Stage 1 Assessments

Throughout the month of May, Year 2 pupils will participate in the optional KS1 reading tests, which consist of:

• English reading Paper 1: combined reading prompt and answer booklet

• English reading Paper 2: reading booklet and reading answer booklet.

End of Key Stage 2 Assessments

At the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6), pupils are required to participate in SATs tests during a specified week in May, which include:

A reading answer booklet and a separate reading booklet.  Pupils will have a total of 1 hour to read the three texts in the reading booklet and complete the questions at their own pace.

Impact

By the end of their time at Parkfield, as readers, the children will be:

• Successful learners who read easily, fluently and with good understanding across both fiction and non-fiction to develop their knowledge of themselves and the world in which they live.
• Confident individuals who develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information and appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage.
• Responsible citizens who have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually.