Intent

At Holbeton Primary School, we value reading as a key life skill, and are dedicated to enabling our pupils to become lifelong readers. We believe reading is key for academic success and so to ensure we have a holistic approach to the teaching of reading, we implement the following.

• Children take part in daily Book Talk sessions, where children are exposed to a range of different texts and can demonstrate their understanding and thinking behind these. 
• All children from Nursery to Year 6 choose a reading book to take home and this reading book is changed weekly. 
• Each classroom will have a selection of books in their classroom which are directly linked with the class topic. This offers opportunities for the children to apply their reading skills across the curriculum. 
•  Children are read to each day by their class teacher. This could be a book that the teacher recommends to the class or a recommendation from a child.
• Each classroom has a book nook - a comfortable place for children to read throughout the day. 
• Children have the opportunity to take part in ‘Reading Buddies’, in which children mix with other children from different year groups and share a book together. 
• Children will work through our school reading scheme – these are levelled books which match the children’s current reading age. We expect family at home to read these books with their child daily and make comments in their child’s reading record.

By the time children leave Holbeton Primary School they are competent readers who can recommend books to their peers, have a thirst for reading a range of genres including poetry, and participate in discussions about books, including evaluating an author’s use of language and the impact this can have on the reader. 

Implementation

At Holbeton Primary School, we use a synthetic phonics programme in KS1 called Read Write Inc.  As part of this, children have daily phonics sessions in small groups where they participate in speaking, listening and spelling activities that are matched to their developing needs. The teachers draw upon observations and continuous assessment to ensure children are stretched and challenged and to identify children who may need additional support. Children work through the different phases, learning and developing their phonics sounds and knowledge.  

Through the Devon Vocabulary Project, opportunities to explore language in different contexts are a priority in every lesson with children making good use of dictionaries (both paper-based and online) to establish initial meanings and then checking the most appropriate word when the words are read in context.

The profile of reading lessons has been raised to ensure that the whole school community is aware of their importance in the progress of all children. Lessons are approached consistently through years 1-6. To find out about our 'Book Talk' approach, click here.

In Early Years, reading sessions take place daily. Children have the opportunity to listen to the class teacher read out loud; read out loud as a class or individually; answer retrieval questions about the shared text; make links to other stories; apply phonics learning.

Impact

Children's language acquisition continues to improve.

Children are able to use a wider range of vocabulary in their own writing.

Children are articulating the meaning of new vocabulary with increased confidence and accuracy.

Children enjoy reading regularly for information and pleasure.

Children discuss books with excitement and interest.