Information for Parents September 2017 Reading at Home Information for Parents September 2017 Altrincham Church of England Primary School

Altrincham Church of England Primary School How does it work? Our reading scheme is organised to provide breadth and depth Different schemes tend to target particular approaches or aspects of reading, eg phonics, sight vocabulary, “real books” Children experience reading from different genres Teacher judgement is key; every child does not read every book, but has their pathway tailored to their needs Altrincham Church of England Primary School

“Phonics First” Approach The National Curriculum requires schools to teach with a “Phonics First” approach Children are taught systematically each of the building blocks (phonemes) that form the sounds in words and how these correspond to written letter patterns (graphemes) The first books in our reading scheme are from the Phonics Bug published scheme Children are also taught the “tricky words” as sight vocabulary Altrincham Church of England Primary School

How does it support work going on in school? Children in reception read in a variety of contexts, including regular individual reading with an adult Guided reading, matched to ability, is the main approach to teaching reading within the weekly timetable for Year 1 and Year 2 Comprehension activities are used to follow up guided reading work, as well as specific, formal, written comprehension tasks appropriate to age and ability Altrincham Church of England Primary School

How do I know how my child is doing? Your child enjoys reading with you and is generally keen to read a variety of books (not just their reading scheme books!) Confidence and independence are increasing Ask your child’s class teacher if you have any concerns Books are broadly organised in Book Bands Current National Curriculum encourages learning in greater depth, rather than “a race through the levels” Searchlights model Altrincham Church of England Primary School

What about the National Curriculum? Children’s reading is assessed by National Tests at the end of the Key Stage (May in Year 2) Progress is tracked by teacher assessment, using KPIs for Year 1 and Year 2 Children in Year 1 are assessed using the Phonics Screening Check in June of Year 1 As children move from Year 1 to Year 2, the emphasis switches from decoding to comprehension Altrincham Church of England Primary School

Altrincham Church of England Primary School What can I do to help? While children are learning to “decode”, listen to and read alongside your child regularly, helping them to sound and blend “Little and often” is generally more productive than occasional long reading sessions As your child becomes more confident, allow them to read independently and then talk about what they have read Aim to develop their understanding and allow them to respond to texts and express their own views and preferences Altrincham Church of England Primary School