At Hylton Castle Primary School we believe that every single one of our pupils has ability to learn to read. We use the synthetic phonics scheme Read Write Inc to progress our pupils through this process. Pupils in Nursery learn to listen for and identify sounds in the spoken word, both in class and through their play. As they move into Reception, pupils receive a program of daily, focused phonics sessions that introduce the children to a sequence of specific progressive sounds in a fun and memorable way. They are taught to blend these sounds together to read words independently and confidently and these skills are then applied to the reading of focused texts. Fast track 1:1 tutoring sessions are given to any pupils who struggle to maintain this expected progress through the program. Pupils read daily in school to develop their reading fluency and continue their reading practice at home using the linked RWI ‘Book Bag Books’ and the online Oxford Owl links to Read Write Inc texts, thanks to the strong partnership we have with parents. We aim to develop a true love of reading in our pupils and children in all classes in KS1 also take home high-quality picture books to share with their parents and carers each day.
As pupils move into Year 2, and once they have passed their phonics screening test, they are introduced to the Accelerated Reader scheme in Renaissance Reading. Pupils are assessed on a half termly basis and allocated their specific reading age and level of book to read. We also use the online program ‘Reading Plus’ to support our pupils as we are aware that, in a technological society, many of our pupils prefer to read in this way. In addition to these focused reading schemes, we continue to encourage and develop a true passion for reading in our Key Stage 2 pupils through providing access to a well-stocked library in all classes. Pupils can take these books home in addition to their allocated levelled books to share with their parents and carers as and when they wish.
Our aim is that all our pupils will move onto the next stage of their education with a level of reading fluency and comprehension that is in line with year group expectations, so that they can go on to achieve their full potential and fulfil their dreams for their future careers.