​Reading Lead - Mrs Amelia Goodson-Smith (AHT) 

Reading

Reading is an essential life skill which is nurtured and actively encouraged in our school. Children will experience a range of texts throughout their time at Oldfield and will have opportunities to share their love of reading through World Book Days, reading assemblies, theatre visits, pantomime shows, library visits and author visits amongst other things. 

Reading books

Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 have phonetically matched Little Wandle books as well as a weekly reading for pleasure book to be shared at home with an adult. Once children in Year 2 complete the Little Wandle reading scheme, they are assessed using the Little Wandle fluency programme and are put onto a fluency level which is based on their accuracy of words read per minute. Children are taught in groups whereby they read one chapter a lesson and the book is read over a two-week period. After children finish with the Little Wandle fluency books, they move onto free choice books which are located in their classrooms.

In KS2, children have the opportunity to change their reading books freely with Teachers and TAs on hand to support their selections and guide them into different genres to expand their love of reading further. Within their class/year group libraries, children have books from a range of authors which are organised into different genres and themes.

To support children with their self selection, we encourage them to use the 5-finger rule to ensure their book is 'just right' so they have just enough challenge to expand their knowledge and skills.

Class Librarians

In Years 1 - 6 each class has a nominated librarian. The role of the librarian is to encourage a range of reading within the classroom, organise the book corners, recommend books to their peers and contribute a book review to the reading newsletter - BookTalk! The class librarian is rotated on a termly basis, to allow a range of children to enjoy the experience.

 

Reading as part of our English curriculum

Each year group has a specific Reading Spine to follow throughout the year which is supported by the Whole School Reading Curriculum. English lessons are planned and based around the Key Text (more information on the Writing Curriculum page). Key texts were selected to ensure that a range of authors, poets and themes were included to reflect our school community.

Work from Year 5 Tigers based on their Autumn 1 text of Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo.

Teachers are given a selection of supporting texts to develop their understanding of the key text, comparing and contrasting similar books, non-fiction links as well as related poems, songs and rhymes. Supporting texts have been added to an Amazon Wishlist (https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/IX2K58WN9T8L?ref_=wl_share) which parents/carers are able to donate a book/s through. Both the Whole School Reading Spine and Whole School Reading Curriculum can be viewed below.

BookTalk! - Reading Newsletter

In order to support our school community with reading, we publish a termly Reading Newsletter - BookTalk! Within the newsletter we provide hints and tips to support and encourage reading, a termly competition, recommended reads from Teachers/TAs and Pupils, author information from our Key Text authors and other additional information. BookTalk! is sent to Parents/Carers on a termly basis and can be found below in the links.

Playground books

Children love having books out and enjoying the good weather whilst reading their favourite story or, as it gets colder, choosing a book to snuggle with in the warm. In the KS2 playground there is a choice of books available for children to select from the playground book corners. Perfect if they fancy a quiet moment for themselves or to share with friends. 

Playground readers

We have some wonderful reading volunteers from Year 5 and 6, who come to the Reception or KS1 playground with their box of books and  read  to our Reception and Key Stage 1 pupils at lunchtime.

To become a Playground Reader the children write an application letter expressing why they think they would like to be a Playground Reader as well as the attributes they have which would make them an excellent candidate.

Below is a sample of a few of the amazing letters I received.

KS2 Book Club

Each month children in KS2 are invited to take part in a monthly book club read by our AHT and Reading Lead - Mrs Goodson-Smith. More information including which books have been read as well as reviews are available under the KS2 Book Club link on the right-hand side of this page.

Reading for Pleasure Challenge

In January 2024 we launched our own Reading for Pleasure Challenge. Children can record how many books they read at home and the winning class at the end of the month can display a reading trophy in their classrooms. If you would like to complete the form, please follow the following link: https://forms.office.com/e/vezEySZGei

Our school library

Every KS2 class has the opportunity to visit the school library once a week, where they have free-choice from the shelves and guidance from our dedicated reading volunteer and governor - Mrs Gina Botterill. The shelves are lovingly looked after and are updated each year with fresh books from Maidenhead Library Services.

Handouts

Please find below letters, PowerPoints, leaflets and resources which relate to the teaching and learning of reading and phonics at Oldfield.

More information

Tabs on the right-hand side have additional information on the KS2 book club, Little Wandle and photo albums showcasing our reading at Oldfield.