Reading
At Locking Primary School, we understand that reading skills underpin all aspects of learning and open the door to many possibilities and opportunities. Our aim is to support all children to become fluent and confident readers who value the importance of reading for purpose and for pleasure and understand the role it plays in their learning. Through access to quality texts and a range of stimulating and engaging reading opportunities, children broaden their understanding of the world, shape their thoughts and opinions and develop a broad and rich vocabulary.
Using a range of teaching approaches, we teach word reading and language comprehension skills in a systematic and progressive manner, providing frequent opportunities for the modelling of reading habits and the practice and application of newly acquired knowledge. We support children to become independent learners and critical thinkers who possess a range of reading strategies skills to thrive and succeed. Our reading curriculum is accessible to all our learners. However, children who require reading provision that is additional and different are quickly identified and tailored support is put in place.
We believe that all children have the right to develop a passion for reading, to access quality texts and to experience the joys that a love of literature brings. To this end, children are immersed in books, stories, poems and rhymes and are given the opportunity to talk about texts in a social context, enhancing their reading experience and deepening their reading comprehension.
Our goal is for children to leave primary school at the end of year 6 armed with all the reading skills that they will need to continue a successful and enriching learning journey at secondary school and in adulthood.
Reading is at the heart of our curriculum. We recognise and value the importance of developing confident readers with a love of reading, in all its forms. We passionately believe in children hearing authors and illustrators talk about the craft of writing and illustrating and strive to provide as many opportunities as possible for this to happen, especially through visits to our school.
Staff enthusiasm for reading and knowledge of classic and current children’s literature is also a high priority. Beyond the English lesson, children are exposed to and immersed in a wide range of stories, poems and other texts through book events and story-time. Book corners celebrate our reading culture and offer a cosy book nook in each class.
We are very excited to be creating a whole school library where children will be able to explore books and develop a passion for reading. We have appointed two Junior Librarians for each class who are currently responsible for maintaining the class library and will also support in the whole class library
When teaching reading, we use a phonics-first approach, with texts matched to each child's individual reading stage. Reading books for children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are banded by their phonics step to ensure the book is closely matched to the individual's development.
When children enter Year 3, we support the children in selecting their own book using ipick. The rationale for this is that we want to children to have ownership of their choice of book regarding subject, content and challenge. They will be guided in these decisions by the class team.
However, a child's joy of reading and books encompasses so much more than the ability to decode. 'Three ways to read a book' are modelled to our youngest children so that they are able to access and enjoy a wide range of beautiful picture books and immerse themselves in the magic of story-telling.
- Reading the pictures
- Reading the words (for phonetically decodable books only)
- Retelling a familiar story
For more information about phonics and reading at Locking, use the links below.
IPICK
Library
We are very excited that we now have a school library. This a space designed so that children can immerse themselves in a book and develop a passion and love of reading
The library is organised into the following sections:
- Fiction. These are labelled by author surname
- Picture books.
- Non fiction. These are categories by pictures e.g. a lion for books about animals. There is a key up in the library to help children find books of their choice.
