Reading

The Reading Curriculum at Brentfield:

Reading underpins all learning and is fundamental to pupils' success across the curriculum. At Brentfield, we are committed to ensuring that every child becomes a confident and fluent reader.

We place strong emphasis on building secure foundations in the early years. From the very beginning, children are taught to read through a systematic, structured and carefully sequenced approach. Priority is given to the development of language, listening, and early reading skills, ensuring that all pupils acquire the essential knowledge required to read with confidence and independence. 

Fluency is a key priority across the school. Pupils are supported to read with accuracy, automaticity and appropriate expression, enabling them to access the full meaning of texts they encounter. As pupils progress, increasing emphasis is placed on comprehension, the development of a rich and varied vocabulary and the ability to think critically about what they read. 

We are equally committed to fostering a culture of reading for pleasure. Through high quality texts, engaging story times and independent reading opportunities, we nurture curiosity, imagination and a genuine love for reading. 

In the EYFS and KS1, reading is taught through the RWI storybook sessions. Children are taught in small targeted groups.

In KS2 reading is taught through the principles of Destination Reader (a structured and systematic approach designed to develop comprehension skills). Children engage in daily reading lessons which incorporate whole class modelling prior to the children applying a series of strategies they have learnt through partner work and independent reading using language stems to help them articulate their ideas clearly.

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Phonics


At Brentfield, we use the  ‘Read, Write, Inc. (RWI) systematic phonics programme for all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 who are learning to read.   

Phonic books are matched to pupils' phonics knowledge so they can apply their phonics to their reading. 

When using RWI Phonics to read the children will:

  • Learn that sounds are represented by written letters
  • Learn 44 sounds and the corresponding letter/letter groups using simple picture prompts
  • Learn how to blend sounds
  • Learn to read using Fred Talk
  • Read stories featuring words they have learned to sound out
  • Show that they comprehend the stories by answering questions