Reading

Reading for Meaning

In reading for meaning children learn to apply a variety of comprehension skills which help them to understand, analyse and evaluate texts that they are reading.

As the children become more familiar with these skills they will be able to use them independently and identify which skill they need to use and when.

Below are the skills overviews for year 1 to 6. Please have a look at them and then encourage the vocabulary at home when you are reading with your child or discussing their book.

Here is a video demonstrating our actions to help us remember the various reading for meaning skills:

Reading for Research

In order to investigate more facts about our themes, pupils sometimes engage in a Reading for Research session, in which they may have to work either independently or collaboratively to navigate websites and textbooks, looking for the answers to the set questions.

Reading for Writing

Pupils are always provided a good example as part of their week’s writing sequence. They use this to learn about structure and effective language relevant to their purpose and audience. Click here to learn more about KHEF approach to writing.

Reading for Pleasure

KHEF believes pupils should be given the tools to read as early as possible so that they can access high-quality, engaging children’s literature as well as the wider curriculum. Alongside accessing our extensive library, pupils’ understanding of these books is monitored through Accelerated Reader (links with more information are found at the top of this page). A recent school council survey also revealed how popular our termly class novels are.

Click here to look at everything we do to encourage reading for pleasure!

Reading

Vision

Excellence achieved through care, creativity and challenge.

Intent

We value reading as a key life skill and endeavour to empower and inspire our pupils to become lifelong readers; we aspire for them to develop a genuine love for reading, both for pleasure and purpose. Our reading curriculum is designed to help pupils make informed choices about the books and authors they enjoy, as well as to decipher increasingly challenging texts. They learn to read with speed and stamina; make predictions; infer and deduce; evaluate and compare; and critically engage with the texts. Pupils are also able to read effectively for research.

Implementation

Our curriculum is separated into five purple threads, which have been adapted from the National Curriculum. The first is ‘Reading for Reading’ (see the Phonics one page guide). The remaining four threads are covered during ‘Reading for Meaning’: reading a range of texts, vocabulary, retrieval and inference.  

‘Reading for Meaning’ is taught during one, 20-minute session per day and mostly occurs in Years 2 and above, once all the letter combinations have been mastered in ‘Reading for Reading’. The focus is on increasing fluency, development of vocabulary, familiarisation of common exception words and embedding key comprehension skills. Vocabulary, retrieval and inference skills are taught explicitly every week across three sessions.

Vocabulary has been identified as a priority in our reading teaching sequence because the majority of our pupils have English as an additional language; it is essential that we provide opportunities for pupils to encounter a range of vocabulary in context so pupils can develop strategies for working out the meaning of unfamiliar words independently. ‘Reading for Meaning’ texts are linked to our themes as much as possible so theme-specific vocabulary is also modelled in context.

A 20-minute daily session of Accelerated Reader (‘Reading for Pleasure’) takes place for pupils to read and enjoy a book independently; to improve their fluency, encounter and decipher new vocabulary and be heard reading by adults in school. Pupils choose an appropriately challenging book based on their current AR level and are encouraged to share recommendations with their peers. Reading groups support readers with regular discussions with adults. To promote and encourage reading at home, pupils fill in a home-connect booklet daily (including weekends) which is signed by a parent or carer; this is a consistent approach across the school.

Pupils also have a ‘Reading for Research’ session during the week to research important knowledge for their current theme, or writing task, whilst learning to effectively precis longer texts to summarise the main ideas.

Impact

Assessment for learning is embedded within each session as teachers use both verbal and written answers to assess their pupils’ understanding. Pupils complete at least two written outcomes in books per week alongside a biweekly ‘Apply It!’ to practise their comprehension skills in a variety of contexts.

Twice a year, pupils take a STAR Reader assessment to identify their AR level and to provide a benchmark for assessing progress at the end of the year. After finishing a book, pupils take a quiz to determine their understanding and whether they can proceed through the levels.

Assessment checkpoints take place three times a year so that teachers can assess progress and address any gaps and misconceptions. Reading tutor groups also take place for pupils identified during the assessment checkpoints.  

Enhancements

Pupils engage with a class novel twice a year during ‘Reading for Meaning’ sessions. The purpose of this is for pupils to critically engage with appropriately-challenging and entertaining texts. Through the rich discussions generated, pupils are also encouraged to explore and share the texts and authors they most enjoy.

Throughout the year, there are also opportunities to take part in book swaps and Billy Bookworm, both of which encourage pupils to choose books based on their own interests. This ensures all pupils (especially pupil premium) have access to quality books at home.

Daily, pupils in Reception and KS1 enjoy ‘Storytime’, during which they listen to a story being read by an adult. As the year progresses, pupils encounter a range of stories from a variety of different authors, whilst engaging in meaningful conversations about what they have enjoyed.

Click here to access phonics videos to support letter sound articulation

Curriculum progression