Reading at Sacred Heart

We strive to nurture a lifelong love of reading and to equip every child with the skills they need to become confident, fluent, and thoughtful readers. Through our daily whole class reading lessons, children develop key skills such as inference, retrieval, fluency, and comprehension. Reading books are carefully matched to each child’s current level and regularly reviewed to ensure they are both supported and challenged. Our Reading lessons feed directly into our writing scheme of work based upon a variety of high-quality texts which encourage children to explore a rich selection of books tailored to their year group.

We are proud to offer a range of Story Spine books ranging across different genres for years 2-6, ensuring that children encounter stories and authors that reflect a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. Daily story time sessions are embedded across the school, providing valuable opportunities for teachers to model expressive reading and share their own love of books.

With the support of our library we encourage children to explore and choose books that they find interesting.

Little Wandle phonics lessons are taught daily from Foundation Stage 1 through to Year 2, additionally guided reading sessions happen at least 4 times a week. Little Wandle phonics interventions continue through KS2 for all children who need it along with a recommended speech and language intervention called ‘Language for thinking’.

In EYFS and Key Stage 1 children have access to decodable reading books that are matched to their current phonics knowledge. These books are taken home and reading is recorded on their reading bookmarks which when complete go into a raffle. Children are encouraged to regularly change their books as required. KS2 and fluent readers in KS1 use the Accelerated Reader programme. Each child takes four Star tests, spread throughout the school year, to give them a ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development) range. The ZPD defines the readability range within which pupils should read to best develop their reading, while avoiding frustration. Children are then able to choose books to read at home and in school within their ZPD range. After the children have read their book they take a quiz and the result of this informs the level of book they should choose next. Class teachers monitor this closely and discuss book choices with them.