Reading 

Crags Reading Curriculum

At Crags, we believe the main purpose of Reading should be for enjoyment and pleasure. If children are enjoying what they are reading, then we believe that this will become a gateway to their learning.

The 2 Year Provision is where the journey to becoming a fluent reader begins for most of our children at Crags Community School. Here, we immerse our children in new vocabulary, give them many opportunities to listen to a variety of stories, poems and rhymes and it is where the teaching of phonics begins.

By the time children at Crags leave Year 6, we aim for children to be fluent and expressive readers using skills to decode unfamiliar vocabulary, understand the meaning of new words and comprehend what they have read.

Reading gives children access to a broad and balanced curriculum that prioritises the use of high quality literature. Our aim is that children will develop and widen their vocabulary choices and enthuse an interest for their individual reading. Children will develop fluency with their reading and build stamina so that they are able to read longer texts and show a good understanding of what they have read.

At Crags, we promote and teach these reading behaviours:

• Enjoyment
• Commitment
• Engagement
• Stamina
• Confidence
• Fluency

At Crags we will:

• Read to children every day. We choose these books carefully as we want children to experience a wide range of books, including books that reflect the children of Crags and our local community as well as books that open windows into other worlds and cultures.
• Choose books that introduce the children to new authors and have a high level of good vocabulary choices
• Ensure that we discuss books and make recommendations to each other.
• Develop vocabulary by using challenging texts that introduce new words.
• Promote partner talk and individual thinking to show an understanding of what we have read.
• Ensure all children have a decodable book to take home to read independently as well as a reading for pleasure text to share with their family.
• Deliver well planned daily phonics and reading lessons that have been guided by Assessment for learning.
• Only use resources from ‘Little Wandle Phonics programme’ to ensure a consistent approach throughout school and reduce our children’s cognitive overload.
• Teach Comprehension skills through the Crag Characters.
• Expose children to a selection of high quality literature - these extracts are chosen with careful thought to their content, vocabulary to encourage reading for pleasure.
• Teach about the lives of important people and aspects of the wider curriculum through reading.
• Choose books that teach diversity and life in other cultures.

Curriculum Documents

National Curriculum Progression MapReading Domain Characters

Fiction Book Choices Reading Lessons