Stranton Primary School

Stranton Primary School
Only the best is good enough

Reading Beyond Phonicss

Reading Comprehension & Fluency

Reading is taught four times each week from 9.00-9.30am in year groups 2 to 6 (unless additional phonics teaching is required). Children in each year group will follow a reading cycle which prioritises fluency, language development (Oracy) and reading comprehension. 

The reading comprehension teaching cycle is as follows:

Week 1- Fluency

Lesson 1 – Accuracy

Children read the key text three times: once independently, once in a pair or small group and once as a whole class with modelling of fluency by the class teacher. Each time children read aloud to support the development of accurate decoding and word recognition.

Lesson 2 - Automaticity

Children read the key text three times again: once out loud a whole class; once by echoing the full text in phrases and sentences and finally through choral reading with various sub-groups within the class reading aloud as the remaining children follow along. 

Lesson 3 – Prosody

To begin with, the class teacher models reading the text for prosody- text marking where children must be mindful of phrasing, stress, intonation and punctuation. Children the take part in ‘Readers’ Theatre’ where they are given the chance to perform the text in small groups and practise the different aspects of prosody required from the text.

 

Week 2 - Fluency into Comprehension

Lesson 1 Oracy

The class teacher plans a range of opportunities for children to develop their understanding of the text through talk. This can include discussions, debates, performances or drama techniques such as ‘hot seating’ and ‘conscience alley’.

Lesson 2 - Whole-class Comprehension

The class teacher this time plans a variety of questions based on the text for the children to answer as a collective group. Questions are from the domains of reading and are presented in a range of ways such ‘matching’, ‘true or false’. ‘tick a box’, ‘find and copy’ and those requiring a more developed answer. Answers are discussed as a class and teachers models how to answer each question.

Lesson 3 - Formal recording

Children are given a set of questions to answer about the text. Answers are recorded in reading comprehension books and these will showcase the depth of understanding children have achieved as a result of the cycle. These are marked by the teacher and feedback is provided to address any misconceptions.

Lesson 4 (Week 1 & 2) - Reading for Pleasure

The final session of Week 1 and 2 allows flexibility for teachers and children to read for pleasure. This could include: the reading of a class novel or a cross-curricular text chosen from the ‘Stranton Reading Spine’; the opportunity for independent or reciprocal reading or a visit to our school library.

Reading Fluency & Assessment 

Reading fluency is actively promoted across school. It is expected that all children will read an age-appropriate amount of words per minute from Year 2 onwards, after they have mastered the phonetic code. By the end of each academic year, it is expected that:

  • By the end of Year 2 children should be able to read 100 words of an age-appropriate text in one minute.
  • By the end of Year 3 children should be able to read 110 words of an age-appropriate text in one minute.
  • By the end of Year 4 children should be able to read 120 words of an age-appropriate text in one minute.
  • By the end of Year 5 children should be able to read 140 words of an age-appropriate text in one minute.
  • By the end of Year 6 children should be able to read 150 words of an age-appropriate text in one minute.

To support early identification of a reading fluency issue with a child, all children not accessing phonics complete the ‘Fluency Assessment’ at the beginning of the year. This identifies which children require targeted fluency support as their WCPM (Words Correct Per Minute) is significantly lower than that of their chronological age. They are then re-tested on this at the end of each term to chart progress and inform next steps.

To inform Pupil Progress Meetings and end of year data, each child will complete a year-group-specific reading test at the end of each term which will form part of the discussion around individual attainment. 

Reading for Pleasure

Reading for pleasure is encouraged in a wide range of ways across school. All classes base their literacy work on a class text or stimulus to engage all children and inspire a love of learning across the curriculum. Additionally, all classes share a class story from their class 'Reading Spine' with their teacher at the end of each day so that the children have the chance to listen to someone reading to them. The Reading Spine is an ongoing, working document which is reviewed regularly to ensure that it remains fresh, engaging, and relevant for our learners. We continuously consider new and emerging authors, diverse voices, and high-quality texts so that our pupils benefit from a rich and inspiring reading experience. By updating our core texts, we aim to nurture a lifelong love of reading and ensure that children encounter literature that reflects both the wider world and their own interests in the form of fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels and poetry. 
We have recently relaunched the  school library to make it more accessible and engaging for children. Time in the library is given to all classes throughout the week and classes are able to access it during story time to help and continue to promote the importance of books to a child’s education. Library clubs are currently running on a break time to enable children to have access to a wide range of literary works. All children in Key Stage 2 choose an age-appropriate text from the school library (unless they access phonics or 1:1 reading) and they get to read this at the start of each day. The purpose of this is to not only promote engagement within reading but to develop individual reading confidence and fluency. 
This academic year, we have chosen to work closely with our local independent bookshop. Through this collaboration, we promote a love of reading by introducing children to a wide range of quality books, supporting author events, and celebrating reading across our school community. This partnership helps us inspire enthusiasm, curiosity, and a genuine enjoyment of books in all our pupils.
Parents are invited into school to take part in reading workshops to develop good home-school links. Each week, a child from each class takes home a ‘Reading Basket’ which contains an appropriate book, some hot chocolate and a teddy bear.

Wider Collaboration Opportunities 

Over the past two years, we have been fortunate to work through a DfE funded project which has facilitated the refinement of our provision for reading with a greater focus on the development of reading fluency. The Reading and Language Development Project enabled us to implement core elements so that all children who are not accessing phonics receive the same, rigorous quality first teaching. All staff have accessed high-quality CPD through the programme and its partners to continue to improve outcomes in reading for pupils. 
To further this foundation, we are now taking part in the 'Hartlepool Reads' project, funded by the SHINE Project and Wise Academies which continues to focus on improving reading outcomes for children in disadvantaged areas. 

Intervention Programmes for Reading

Regular and rigorous assessments take place throughout lessons and at various points throughout the year to ensure the children are accessing the correct level of reading for them. If children are not working within the expected standard, they will receive extra support and targeted intervention from one or more of the following programmes:
  • Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised Keep-up
  • Little Wandle Fluency Programme 
  • Little Wandle SEND Programme 
Progress made by children who participate in these intervention programmes is tracked by Little Wandle Assessments which is analysed to inform impact and next steps to give the children every opportunity to read age-appropriate texts confidently. 

Reading Curriculum

Stranton's Reading Curriculum

Reading Domains Progression 

This Reading Domains Progression document details the reading skills that pupils will gain at each stage of the curriculum.

Reading Domains ProgressionYear Group Progression