Phonics and Teaching Reading

At Shoreham Village School, we are dedicated to ensuring that all children become successful, fluent readers by the end of Key Stage 1. We believe this is achievable through a combination of high quality, discrete systematic phonic teaching and children being exposed to a language-rich curriculum that promotes reading in all curriculum subjects, and for pleasure.

Joy of Reading

It is our aim that all pupils in our school will develop a wide, rich vocabulary and a love of reading that will stay with them throughout their lives.

Early Reading

In the Early Years Foundation Stage and through Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) we teach reading using a Department for Education validated systematic synthetic phonics scheme called Read Write Inc (RWI). 

RWI is taught daily by trained staff to all pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.

Pupils in Year 3 who have not yet developed the required level of phonic knowledge will receive targeted interventions based on RWI so that they can make rapid progress to acquire these necessary skills.

For early readers, we will match reading books to the phonic sound that your child is learning that week.

We also provide reading books from a range of reading schemes to ensure pupils have the opportunity to consolidate their reading and comprehension skills before moving onto the next level.  Books that do not match pupils phonic knowledge should be read by an adult to support the child's development and understanding of vocabulary and comprehension. 

All pupils in Year 1 will sit a Phonics Screening Check that will assess their phonic knowledge by checking the sounds they can recognise and say.  Pupils who do not achieve the national level in this Check will receive targeted support throughout Year 2 and will resit the Check at the end of Year 2.

Reading in Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6)

Once pupils have acquired synthetic phonic knowledge we move from RWI resources to a daily reading programme for pupils to further embed the wide range of skills required to read with understanding, enjoyment and purpose. Pupils will be supported by school staff to choose engaging and age-appropriate 'free-reader' books that match their level of reading skill and comprehension and will share class texts on a daily basis.