Reading
Reading
Our main aim at Lower Farm is to promote a love of reading and to create a reading culture.
Reading Comprehension
We are passionate about teaching children to read effectively. After children have mastered phonics, they start reading comprehension lessons.
Reading comprehension in KS2 is taught 4 times a week.
Session 1 is vocabulary focused. We read our class high quality text that we are using in English and find new vocabulary. We then analyse words using the ‘Frayer Model’.
Session 2 again focuses on our class high quality text and we answer comprehension questions, spend time discussing what we have read and have role-play sessions. These lessons do not always have written outcome, as we understand the benefit of high quality discussion in supporting comprehension.
Session 3 is focused on fluency. We have recently started to implement the use of texts from our foundation subjects as well as using our class text. We use a range of fluency teaching strategies including paired reading, repeated oral reading, oral cloze reading and modelling fluent reading.
Session 4 is a written comprehension session using classroom secrets. We read a text that is unfamiliar and answer questions from a range of reading domains. We discuss answers and support each other in how to tackle these comprehension questions. We use all the skills we have learnt in the week with familiar texts to help us.
Our reading sessions are taught whole class and the teacher and TA support is provided where needed.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary is a key part of our comprehension so we take a lot of time finding and understanding new vocabulary in the text. We also have a word of the week which is taken from an academic word list, attached below.
In addition to this, we also have a Greek or Latin root word to learn each week that supports children’s problem solving when faced with a word they may not have come across before. If they know the root word, they can figure out the meaning of the unknown word. The list of these words is attached below.
Reading at Home
Reading at home is a key element to children reading successfully. We have ‘hard copy’ books for children to take home from our reading scheme ‘Bug Club’. Children in Reception and Year 1 also have phonics books to take home and they can read these online on Oxford Owl. Children at Lower Farm have a school planner to note reading at home in and they are encouraged to read a little every day. Teachers also read weekly with children in class.
Each class chooses a ‘Reader of the Week’ and this is presented in our ‘Friday Celebration Assembly’. This celebrates children who read the most at home or children that have made lots of progress with their reading.
Please see some helpful documents below that may provide some advice about how to effectively read at home with your child.
Ideas for parents for comments in reading records..pdfQuestions to ask children while reading.pdf
READ, READ, READ!
Story Time
We ensure a story is read to children before home time. In KS2 we promote reading a chapter text, by an author they may not have heard before in order to broaden their understanding of different authors and classic texts. In KS1 and EYFS we read shorter stories but still from a wealth of authors.
Reading Diets
Attached are our year groups reading diets, which outline the stories, and books we share throughout the year. This is what we have planned, but of course, if a new book comes along, that we would love to share with our children, we do so!
These books are shared during lesson time, story time and during our afternoon sessions and link to our History, Science, Geography, Art and PSHE, where appropriate.
Choosing high-quality texts is imperative so we have chosen these texts from our reading spine that consists of stories with Archaic Language, Non-Linear Time Sequences, Narratively Complex, Complexity of story and Resistant Texts and from recommended reading lists published by book for topics.
Rainbow
Reading Incentive
We have recently started a new reading incentive.
Children work hard to gain badges that they wear on their jumper. Children are encouraged to read as much as they can. When they complete a book, they receive points. The more points they receive, the more badges they earn until they reach their rainbow badge!
This is a school wide incentive so children should be working to get their badges throughout their time at Lower Farm. Ideally, children receive their red badge in Year 1 and end getting their rainbow badge in Year 6. If they gain it sooner, even better!
World Book Day
At Lower Farm we LOVE celebrating ‘World Book Day’. Every year we are astonished by the broad range of costumes we see when our children come dressed as their favourite characters. We celebrate authors and books all day then too!
World Book Day 2024
Reading with care home.pdfWorld Book Day 2024
Many of our staff have a love and passion for reading so this year's World Book Day some of our staff are going to sharing their favourite books with our children.
You've all heard of 'The Masked Singer', the surreal and surprising singing show that asks: "Who is behind the mask?"
Well now, for World Book Day, we have our very own 'Lower Farm's Masked Reader'
Take a look at the trailer for a sneak peek of this upcoming event!
Here is the official Lower Farm's Masked Reader - can you guess who is behind each mask?
Pyjamarama Day
In order to continually raise the profile of reading across the school, we take part annually in ‘Pyjamarama Day’ in school. We all come dressed in our pyjamas and celebrate reading all day long!
Shakespeare.pdf