How we prioritise reading
How we prioritise reading at St Dennis Primary Academy
- Daily reading through RWI at the begining of every day.
- A diet of '5 a day' in EYFS that includes 'Talk through Stories'.
- Daily Book Study (KS1) or Novel Study (KS2) taught through the use of VIPERS questions, which have been structured progressively across the school.
A weekly ‘written reading response’ session, where the VIPERS are used to frame questions regarding the Novel/Book being studied.
- Additional Book Share in KS1.
- Writing is taught through the storytelling approach.
- Comprehension skills are taught across the wider curriculum every week.
- Well stocked and inviting library.
- Dedicated library time every week where library skills are explicitly taught.
- Children can take home two books - one decodable (RWI or Accelerated Reader) and one library book for pleasure.
- Accelerated Reader is used once children have completed RWI. Instead of being a ‘free reader’, they are directed to choose books within their ZPD level as their individual reading book. Within this band, there are a range of difficulties and interest levels for the children to choose from.
- Key staff in reading roles include a RWI Lead, English Lead, School Librarian and a Reading Champion. We also employ a member of staff who reads with priority children every day.
- Reading achievement is celebrated through a dedicated newsletter.
- Classrooms have all been redesigned to include reading corners which are used as a mini-library and include recommended texts, books relevant to topics, poetry books and current newspapers and magazines.
- Knowledge organisers include a glossary to ensure children learn layered language and definitions which supports their comprehension across the wider curriculum and in their independent reading.
- Reading is woven into all long term plans to ensure we are reading as scientists, geographers and historians.
- Additional online access to books has been purchased so children have access to an extensive online library.
- Weekly reading training in place for staff.
- In order to ensure a wide range of texts are accessed, we are developing the use of the 'Five Plagues of Reading Spines' (Doug Lemov - Reading Reconsidered).
- Website to showcase our reading intent, implementation and impact.
- Partner school with Kernow English Hub to ensure best practice teaching of reading.