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What Do We Want for Our Children?
To read for pleasure
To be able to choose what they would like to read for themselves
To be able to summarise what has been read
To read with understanding
To read with expression
To have reasons for preferences in what they read

To decode text for meaning – reading the words and understanding what they mean.
To retrieve information
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Lower KS 2
To deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts
To consider the structure and organisation of the text
To explain and comment on the author’s use of language
To identify and comment on writers’ purposes and viewpoints and overall effect of the text on the reader
Upper KS 2

There are 2 dimensions of reading – ‘word recognition’ and ‘language comprehension’

In Early Years and Key stage 1, children are taught to decode and encode in their reading and writing. The children are taught to use specific reading strategies that will enable them to be successful:
 Use phonics to 'sound out' or 'segment' words into easier chunks and putting the word back together again.
 Reading on to the end of the sentence to see if it helps.
 Using pictures as clues.
 Using a mixture of these strategies to make sense of the sentence. Often this means re reading sentences or a whole page!

Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts
Put together the underlying meaning in a story/text
Being able to solve the puzzle
Why wasn’t Red Riding Hood afraid in the forest?
Why did the Wolf dress up as
Red Riding Hood’s
Grandmother?
How did Red Riding Hood know that he wasn’t the Granny?

Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts, including grammatical and presentational features of the text.
The choices that writers make in the way a book looks –
Chapters, sub headings, rhymes in the text, italic print, complex sentences
And WHY THOSE
CHOICES HAVE
BEEN MADE
Why do you think the chapter ends there?
What is the writer making us feel?
Why is there a new subheading for this part of the book?
Why has the writer chosen to put a rhyme in the middle of the text?

Explain and comment on writer’s use of language including grammatical and literary features at word/sentence level
Looking closely at the key words/phrases a writer uses
Identifying powerful verbs, unusual adjectives, similes, metaphors, unusual connectives
What is the simile
/metaphor/ personification that the writer uses to compare the wind?
Why does the writer use this phrase to begin the sentence? How does it make you feel? Why?
Why is the sentence organised like this? How could you improve it?

Identify and comment on writers’ purposes and viewpoints and overall effect of the text on the reader
Is there an underlying message in the story/book?
e.g battle between good and evil; pollution and green issues; being kind to each other etc
AND HOW SUCCESSFULLY
THIS VIEWPOINT HAS
BEEN PUT OVER
What do you think was the point of the story or book?
Did the writer convince you that his ideas were right?
Why/Why not?

 Phonics – learning phonemes, blending and segmenting
 Children read a wide range of texts – individually, as a whole class (shared reading) and as a group
(guided reading)
 Children have comprehension lessons
 Children take home a wide variety of levelled books to read at home

The teacher will look at a big book, or a text on the IWB, with a large group or whole class.
This might come in the form of an e-book. e-books
The teacher will teach specific skills such as punctuation and sentence structure or work on comprehension based skills.
The teacher will introduce different text types to the children. We will look at how they are organised in different ways and the children learn the features of each text type and the choices that have been made by the author

We start guided reading in the spring and summer terms of Reception
The teacher will work with a group who are at a similar ability level; the children in the group will read together a text or book.
There will be a focus on specific teaching points and objectives that are particular to that group.
These sessions are very carefully assessed and each individual’s progress tracked.
The children will have targets from their guided reading sessions in their reading diaries.
The children self assess with direction at the end of each session whether they have achieved their target or not.
Following a guided session the children may be asked to read independently at home or in school in preparation for the next session

The blonke was maily, like all the others. Unlike the other blonkes, however, it had spiss crinet completely covering its fairney cloots and concealing, just below one of them, a small wam.
This particular blonke was quite drumly- lennow, in fact, and almost samded. When yerden, it did not quetch like the other blonkes, or even blore. The others blored very readily.
It was probably his bellytimber that had made the one blonke so drumly. The bellytimber was quite kexy, had a strong shawk, and was apparently venenated. There was only one thing to do with the venenated belly timber: givel it in the flosh. This would be much better than to sparple it the wong, since the blonkes that were not drumly could icchen in the wong, but not in the flosh.

The blonke was maily, like all the others. Unlike the other blonkes, however, it had spiss crinet completely covering its fairney cloots and concealing, just below one of them, a small wam.
This particular blonke was quite drumly- lennow, in fact, and almost samded. When yerden, it did not quetch like the other blonkes, or even blore. The others blored very readily.
It was probably his bellytimber that had made the one blonke so drumly. The bellytimber was quite kexy, had a strong shawk, and was apparently venenated. There was only one thing to do with the venenated belly timber: givel it in the flosh. This would be much better than to sparple it the wong, since the blonkes that were not drumly could icchen in the wong, but not in the flosh.
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1. Where was the small wam?
2. Why weren’t the other blonkes drumly?
3. If the bellytimber is venenated, is it wise to givel it in the flosh? Why or why not?

The children have specific reading comprehension lessons to look in detail at the more complex types of questions that require the children to infer and deduce information from the text

Throughout the children's school life, teachers will take care to plan activities that will challenge at every level through differentiated activities.
Teachers plan to teach and constantly assess different reading foci through a range of fiction, non fiction and poetry texts. The assessment foci (AF) are:
AF2
AF3
AF4
AF5
AF6
AF7
Use a range of strategies including accurate decoding of text, to read for meaning.
Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to text.
Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts.
Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts, including grammatical and presentational features at text level.
Explain and comment on writers' uses of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level.
Identify and comment on writers' purposes and viewpoints and the overall effect of the text on the reader.
Relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts and literary traditions.

There is less emphasis on ‘hearing’ children read individually
The time available means that each child would only receive 5 minutes a week (30 children x 5 minutes = 2 ½ hours) which is half the allocated time for literacy!
Teachers check the progress children are making with their home reading and will add comments to each child’s reading record where necessary
All children will read individually in school at some point during each half term in a guided session
All children will read individually to an adult as part of the reading circle of parents
Individual reading time is spent to track children’s reading. It is not used for teaching reading.
Some children require more support when they learn to read and so will have additional individual time built into the weekly timetable.

These are taught in school and are placed in order of the frequency children will see them occurring in children’s books.
To start with the words will be short i-n, o-n, i-t.
Other words are introduced as children learn more sounds – they, said, do, are
The high frequency words become more complex as children learn more phonemes.
The children take home a set of high frequency words to practise reading at home. They are stuck in the back of their reading diaries.
Once children have completed these they will work on comprehension skills and we will send home questions to work on with your child or activities to complete.

Research shows that your interest and involvement in your child’s learning is more important than anything else in helping your child fulfil their potential.
You know your child best!

AF
2
3
4
Fiction
-Where does the story take place?
-When did the story take place?
-What did the character look like?
-Where did the character live?
-Who are the key characters in the book?
-What happened in the story?
-What kinds of people in the story?
-Explain something that happened at a specific point in the story?
-If you were going to interview this character/author, which questions would you ask?
-Which is your favourite part? Why?
-Who would you like to meet most in the story? Why?
-What do you think would happen next if the story carried on past the ending of the book?
-Who was the storyteller? How do you know?
-Predict what you think is going to happen next. Why do you think this?
-Is this a place you could visit? Why/why not?
-How is the main character feeling at the start/middle/end of the story? Why do they feel that way? Does this surprise you?
-Were you surprised by the ending? Is it what you expected? Why/why not?
-What is the main event of the story? Why do you think this?
-How has the text been organised?
-Why do you think authors use short sentences?
-How did you think it would end/should end?
-Has the author used an unusual layout in the text? Is so, describe it and say why you think they did this?
-Has the author used a variety of sentence structures?
-Has the author put certain words in bold or italic?
Why have they done this?
5
6
7
-Why did the author choose this title?
-Do you want to read the rest of the text? How does the writer encourage you to read the rest of the text?
-Can you find some examples of effective description? What makes them effective?
-Which part of the story best describes the setting?
-Can you find examples of powerful adjectives? What do they tell you about a character or setting?
-Can you find examples of powerful adverbs? What do they tell you about a character, their actions or the setting?
-Can you find examples of powerful verbs? What do they tell you about a character, their actions or the setting?
-Find an example of a word you don’t know the meaning of. Using the text around it, what do you think it means?
-Can you think of another story that has a similar theme eg good over evil, weak over strong, wise over foolish?
-Why did the author choose this setting?
-What makes this a successful story? What evidence do you have to justify your opinion?
-How could the story be improved or changed for the better?
-What was the most exciting part of the story? Explain your answer as fully as you can.
-What genre is this story? How do you know?
-What was the least exciting part of the story? Explain your answer as fully as you can.
-When the author writes in short sentences, what does this tell you?
-Do you know another story, which deals with the same issues eg social, cultural, moral issues?
-Have you ever been in a similar situation to a character in the book? What happened?
-How would you have felt in the same situation?
-What would you have done differently to the character in a particular situation from the book?
-How would you feel if you were treated in the same way as the main character?
-What did the story make you think of?
-Have you read any other stories that have similar characters to this one? If so, which story was it and what happened?
-Do you think this book is trying to give the reader a message? If so, what is it?
Non-Fiction
-What is the text about? What is the title of the text? Who is the author of the text?
-What kind of things would you expect to see in this book?
-Can you find examples of different features of this text type?
-Find something that interests you from the text. Explain why you chose that particular part.
-Where would you look to find out what a technical word means?
-What is on the cover of the book? What does this tell you about the content inside?
-Which parts of the book could help you find the information you need?
-When would you use the contents page in the book?
-When would you use the index page in the book?
-What sort of person do you think would use this book?
-When might someone use this book? Why?
-Can you suggest ideas for other sections or chapters to go into the book?
-Do you think the author of the book is an ‘expert’ about the topic of the book? Why/why not?
-Can you find an example of a page you think has an interesting layout? Why did you choose it?
-Why have some of the words been written in italics ?
-What are the subheadings for?
-Why have some of the words been written in bold?
-How does the layout help the reader
-What is the purpose of the pictures?
-Can you find examples of words which tell you the order of something?
-What kind of a text is this? How do you know?
-Why does this book contain technical vocabulary?
-Find an example of a technical word. Read the sentence it’s in. What do you think it means based on how it’s used in the sentence?
-Are there any examples of persuasive language?
-Why do we need a glossary in a text?
-Why has the writer written this text?
-Have you found any of the illustrations, diagrams or pictures useful?
Why/why not? Try to explain fully
-Why did the writer choose to present the information in the way they did?
-How could the information be presented better?
-What makes this text successful?
-Are there any features that it hasn’t got? Why do you think it doesn’t have them?
-Can you think of another text that is similar to this one? What are the similarities and differences between them?

silver dark blue cerise

In school we have levelled all of the reading books to help children read books suited to their ability
How to choose ‘Just Right’ books
 Look at the cover.
 Read the title and the author.
 Read the blurb on the back.
 Read the first page.

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Even though your child may now be a fluent reader, it is still important to hear them read aloud every day.
By continuing to actively share your child`s reading you are giving it status and importance as well as continuing to develop enjoyment and you are also increasing their understanding of more challenging texts.
● Your child will benefit from your support. You are in the position to help overcome any misunderstandings by talking about what they read aloud. It is a good idea to share reading aloud as you can model pace, expression and fluency for your child.

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Reading should not just take place at a set time and place. Don’t forget to ask your child to read suitable words from the environment, e.g. signs, labels, etc.
Have a go at making books with your child – pop ups, flaps, non fiction – all kinds!
Be a role model! Does your child see you read? Do you talk about what you read?
Listen to your child read every day.
Find a quiet place to share books where you can be comfortable.
Encourage your child to read a range of texts such as comics, newspapers, nonfiction, plays and poetry etc.
Talk about the book.
Ask questions which encourage your child to give opinions about the text.
Play word games.
Encourage your child to read a series of books from a favourite author or books on topics of interests, especially to keep reluctant readers interested in reading.

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Check that the text is suitable. Remember that reading is not just about decoding words but also about fluency, expression and understanding. Don’t forget to vary the type of text, e.g. fiction, nonfiction, poetry, comics, magazines, etc.
Make sure that there are no distractions, e.g. television, music, etc. Make sure that your child is comfortable.
Ensure that your child is willing to read. Don’t force them if they are overly reluctant as this may give them a negative attitude to reading. Remember that reading should be enjoyable.
Talk about the cover and appearance of the book:
 Why did you choose it? (If they chose it themselves)
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Who is the author? Have you read any other books by that author? How did you feel about them?
What do you think the story will be about? (fiction) Does the front or back cover give you any clues?
Remind your child of the different ways they can work out words on which they are stuck:
 Phonetic: Sounding out each phoneme.
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Contextual: Reading the rest of the sentence in order to find a word that gives the sentence sense.
Pictorial: Clues can sometimes be found in the pictures.

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Use plenty of praise for your child’s achievements. Do not criticise when they get something wrong.
Stop at appropriate places in the text to ask questions about the plot and characters. Ask your child to make predictions about what might happen next.
If your child stumbles over a word or mispronounces one then allow them some time to self-correct.
Encourage them to sound out words, try short and long vowel sounds.
Do not force your child to decipher every word that they struggle with. Flow is important too as it helps to maintain understanding. Focus on words that they come across regularly
(High Frequency Words).
If your child loses interest then stop.

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Discuss the text and your child’s attitude towards it:
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Did you enjoy it? Why?
Did you have a favourite part or a part you didn’t like?
Did you have a favourite character? Was there a character you didn’t like?
How do you think this character felt when…..?
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Was the story happy / funny / sad / scary / exciting? Why?
Did the story end how you thought it would?
Why was the book called….?
Did you learn anything new from this book? (non-fiction)
Ask your child to read a few appropriate words from the text out of context.
Make a note in your child’s reading diary about how they responded to the book and expressing any positive comments or concerns.
N. B the questions given here are examples only and should not be asked, in sequence, every time your child reads. Questions should be appropriate to the text.

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Get your child to read a book/page/section to themselves sometimes before reading aloud.
Talk about the book with your child before reading – you could introduce any words to them you think they will struggle with.
Encourage your child to read a section again to make sure it makes sense and to improve the expression.
Read a section to your child – model expression and fluency.
If they are finding a book difficult, don’t ask your child to sound out every word - focus on words you know that your child can decode.
Sometimes read with your child (paired reading) or take it in turns to read a page.
Draw your child’s attention to repeated words – encourage them to read them by sight, instead of sounding out.
Encourage your child to talk about what they are reading as they are going along, not just at the end – can they predict, comment, explain what’s happening?
Keep reading sessions short and enjoyable – reading should never be a chore!

Our new school reading programme that joins books with eBooks

 A reading programme that the school will use to help teach reading
 Carefully graded reading books and eBooks
 Children can take home the books as well as accessing eBooks via a personalised website

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Children can enjoy reading books onscreen and completing fun quiz questions found in the eBooks
The quiz questions will help the children practise their reading skills
The Foundation and KS1 eBooks are also audio-books, so children can enjoy hearing an expressive reading of the story

 If you have access to an internet connection at home, your child can log on whenever they want to, from home.

We are providing each child with their own login details to a website where they can read eBooks

Log in here with the details we give you
Example login details
School ID: xxxx
Username: Emily22
Password: sheep
Each child’s login details are different

A Year 1 homepage
Each year looks different
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Your child will see eBooks on their homepage
We allocate eBooks according to the reading level they are on
They will have up to 5 new eBooks at one time

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Click on the book cover & see how many quiz questions there are
Read the book and click on the bug icons to open the quiz questions
 Your child does not need to finish all quiz questions in one sitting. They can come back to a book later.

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A Reception reward screen
– collecting stickers.
At Year 1, children will collect things to decorate a treehouse.
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At Year 2, children will grow a dragon and see animations
When they have finished all quiz questions in an eBook, children will gain some Bug Points.
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When they have read a few eBooks, they will have enough Bug
Points to gain a reward.
A reward will appear on their screen, and they can see this reward in ‘My rewards’.

 When your child has finished an eBook, the eBook will move to ‘Books I Have Read’ (KS1) or ‘Look again’ (KS2) where they can read it again, if they want to.
 They can choose a new eBook from ‘My books’.

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Children can read at their own pace.
Encourage your child to attempt all quizzes.
We can track their progress and help them with types of quiz questions they struggle with.
Allow your child to read a favourite eBook again.

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Discuss books with them – try reading the same book so you can talk about it
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Ask them to prepare a section to read aloud to you
 Encourage them to ask you if they come across new words or note them down as they go along to look up later
Periodically ask them to read aloud to you
 Encourage them to read a range of texts
 Don’t worry if a book is too hard – read with them/to them to allow them to access it. Then discuss their choice.
 Don’t worry if a book is too easy – use to develop wider comprehension skills and expression. Use picture books to look at layers of meaning and discuss themes.
Look at Michael Morpurgo suggested reads

 Each year group reads a class text. Please don’t read these texts with your child at home so they are unseen when they come to read them in school
 Year 3 The Diary of a Killer Cat
The Magic Finger
 Year 4
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Year 5
Year 6
Bill’s New Frock
The Butterfly Lion
Street Child
The Firework Maker’s Daughter
The Great Elephant Chase
Goodnight Mr Tom
There’s a boy in the girl’s classroom

Earn 1 point each day you read to an adult at home
Earn 2 points for each activity you complete on books you have read (Bonus points may be given for going the extra mile!)
Once you have earned 10 points collect 1 house point
Once you have earned 30 points you can have 10 minutes free time on one of the school iPads!

Choose an activity from the bingo chart to complete each week.
Make a list of six adjectives found in your reading.
Write a letter to the author of the book you read.
Write a book review.
Include the title, author, genre, summary, and your personal opinion of the book.
Write an advice column to a character with a problem in your story.
Make a list of six adverbs found in your reading.
Draw a scene from the story you read.
Write a book review.
Include the title, author, genre, summary, and your personal opinion of the book.
Write an alternative ending to the story.
Remember to write like you are the author!
Find five boring words and give a suggestion to make them more exciting

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Reading stories, poems and other texts aloud to your child (yes, even in
KS2!)
Let your child see you reading for purpose and pleasure
Visit the library / book shops to choose their own books
Take part in library events – summer reading challenge, ‘Chatterbooks’ club
Reading with siblings – older and younger
Use CD stories to access longer/more difficult texts and build confidence
Follow your child’s interests
Give reading a purpose – TV guide, recipes, game instructions, signs, computer adventure games, catalogues…

 Keep it fun
 Ask the right questions at the right time
 Keep positive