Reading

We believe that reading should be an enjoyable activity and our approach to the teaching of reading is firmly rooted in this belief. It is our aim to develop in children a love of reading and an ability to read with understanding for pleasure and for information which will inspire and motivate them to read throughout their lives.

In the Early Years and Key Stage 1, there is a great emphasis on the teaching of phonics and reading. At Key Stage 2, we extend and develop each child’s reading skills. Our children are able to explore reading through a range of strategies and structures that support their fluency and comprehension skills to help them become competent readers in addition to quality-first teaching in the classroom.

Children across the whole school are given books to read at home. These will be decodable phonics books in EYFS and Key Stage 1 and books from the class or school library. In EYFS and Key Stage 1, we believe that in order to develop a love of reading, your child should also have access to high-quality children’s books in addition to decodable books. These books should offer you and your child an opportunity to explore exciting stories or things of interest, but most of all will continue to support the development of your child’s vocabulary and sense of story structures. Therefore, alongside decodable phonics books, children will receive a storybook to share with adults at home. This engagement with stories from an early age will pave the way for children to become self-motivated and habitual readers as they progress through school. When in Key Stage 2, children build on their autonomy by taking more responsibility for their own reading choices. At Holy Spirit, we use Accelerated Reader in Key Stage 2, which supports the development of comprehension skills. Every class enjoys designated story times, in which children can listen to stories, poems and non-fiction texts regularly to develop a shared love of reading.

The school has a library where children benefit from good-quality reading materials, both fiction and non-fiction. All library books have been coded for Accelerated Reader to further support children’s book selection and reading comprehension. Our children also have access to MyOn, a digital library platform, which allows children unlimited access to a wealth of enhanced digital books, including a wide range of genres and authors as well as informational texts.

The children practise their reading with books that match the phonics and the ‘tricky words’ they know. They start thinking that they can read and this does wonders for their confidence.

The teachers read to the children, too, during daily story time so the children get to know all sorts of stories, poetry and information books. They learn many more words this way and it also helps their writing.

HOW WILL I KNOW HOW WELL MY CHILD IS DOING?

We will always let you know how well your child is doing.

We use various ways to find out how the children are getting on in reading. We use the information to decide what reading group they should be in. Your child will work with children who are at the same reading level as him or her. Children will move to a different group if they are making faster progress than the others. Your child will have one-to-one support if we think he or she needs some extra help to keep up.

We also use a reading test so that we can make sure that all our children are at the level that they should be for their age compared to all the children across the country.

In the summer term, the government asks us to do a phonics check of all the Year 1 children. That gives us extra information about their progress. We will talk to you about how well your child has done, and especially if we have any worries at all.

What is Accelerated Reader?

AR is part of the Renaissance Reading software package recently adopted by the school to encourage and improve reading, measure growth of the individual reader and to provide quality reading for all. It allows for personalised learning targets to be set up and for progress to be easily monitored. This short guide will help you to understand the system better so that you can support your child with their reading.

Your child will choose a book at their own level and read it at their own pace. When finished, they will take a short quiz on the computer. Passing the quiz is an indication that your child has understood the book.

AR gives both children and teachers feedback based on the quiz results, which the teacher then uses to help your child set goals and direct ongoing reading practice.

AR is used as part of a comprehensive reading programme in place at St Luke’s C of E Primary School for children in Key Stage 2.  While we continue to teach the skills of reading in class through guided reading texts and whole class texts, the AR books chosen by your child will provide them with the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have developed.

Pupils using AR are encouraged to progress at their own pace and they have personalised targets based on their reading ability. The aim of AR is for all children to succeed in achieving their targets.

What are STAR Reading Tests?

Every child taking part in AR will complete a STAR reading test at the beginning of the year and at the end of each half-term. It is a twenty minute multiple choice reading assessment completed individually on the computer. Questions continually adjust to your child’s responses so if their response is correct, the difficulty level is increased. If they miss a question or give an incorrect answer, the difficulty level is reduced.

The STAR reading test, along with teacher judgement assists us in identifying a child’s ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development) range.

What is a Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)?

After your child takes a STAR reading test, the teacher will assess the results and give them a ZPD reading range.  This is in place of the old ‘benchmarking system’. The range aims to challenge a child without causing frustration or loss of motivation.  Children who are reading below a 2.0 level will continue to have access to books in the courtyard which are suitable to their reading level.

How do I know what books my child can read?

Your child will know their range and the books they should be choosing. A ZPD can change throughout the year based on STAR reading tests, professional judgement and quiz results.

To ensure children experience success from the outset they begin each year by taking books at the lower end of their ZPD range.

Children will be given book marks which will show your child’s ZPD.

What are the AR Quizzes?

When your child has finished reading a book they will be given time to take a quiz independently on the computer. We aim for all quizzes to be taken within 48 hours of finishing a book.

There are two main types of quizzes your child will take:

• Reading Practice Quizzes. These are the most common type of assessment. The purpose is to determine whether your child has read a book, measure your child’s literal comprehension of the book and provide immediate feedback. Each quiz consists of 3, 5, 10 or 20 multiple-choice questions depending on the book level and length.
• Vocabulary Practice Quizzes. These measure a child’s command or vocabulary words encountered while reading. They are designed to reinforce vocabulary acquisition, assist with individualising vocabulary instruction and generate your child’s interest in words through authentic, in-context literature experiences. Quizzes include 5, 10 or 15 words from a particular book as well as review words from previously read books.

Depending on the book level, the quiz will take around 5-10 minutes to complete. The results are calculated and shown to the child instantly.

Children earn points, or a portion of the book’s points, depending on how well they do on the Reading Practice quiz. For example, a child who takes a 5-question quiz on a book worth 1 point will earn 1 point for 5 correct answers (100%), 0.8 point for 4 correct answers (80%) etc. A child who reads a book worth 5 points and takes a 10-question quiz will earn the full 5 points for 10 correct answers (100%), 4.5 points for 9 correct answers (90%) etc. For quizzes with 3, 5 or 10 questions, a child needs to pass a quiz with a score of 60% or higher to earn points. For quizzes with 20 questions, a child needs to pass with a score of 70% or higher to earn points.

If your child does not do well on a quiz, they will be encouraged to choose a book that is more appropriate. You can help by asking questions about the book as your child reads it at home.

The number of quizzes continues to grow as new books are added to AR. Your child can take a quiz when:

• they have read a book independently;
• a teacher has read a book to them, e.g. class novel;
• they have read a book with someone, e.g. parent, or teaching assistant.

Your child can bring in books from home or the local library to read as part of AR if their teacher feels they are suitable.   To conduct a simple book search to see if a book is on Accelerated Reader, go to www.arbookfind.co.uk

How are targets set?

The AR program generates personalised targets for each child. These targets are based on how many AR points a child should be able to earn depending on how much time they read and their reading level. The more books your child reads and the better they do on the quizzes, the more points they will earn. Prizes will be given to children who meet and exceed their targets.

How much will my child read during the school day?

According to research, children who read at least 20 minutes a day with a 90% success rate on AR quizzes see the greatest gains.

At Holy Spirit Primary School, we aim to set aside at least 20 minutes for independent reading each day.

How can I help?

As with anything, performance improves with practice. We provide lots of opportunities for reading in school, but you can help by encouraging reading at home too.

Encourage your child to read with you and/or discuss what they have read. A child may be able to decode and read the words but may not have understood them, so asking questions about the book is important. Reading with your child, no matter what age, is an important part of developing good reading skills and a lifelong love of reading.