Reading at West Horndon Primary School
We want to help children to develop a life-long love of reading. We strive to give the children the necessary skills and knowledge to enable them to read with confidence across a variety of media.
It is known that reading can develop the child’s self-esteem and understanding of the world around them. It is vital that children are exposed to literature that is beyond their current experience and fluency.
Our love of reading is rooted in the use of high-quality texts. Through these texts, children are given the skills required to read easily, fluently and with good understanding. It is vital that our children develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information, acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language. Reading underpins our ability to succeed in all curriculum areas.
What is the reading journey at West Horndon?
At West Horndon Primary School we use the Oxford Reading Tree book banding system throughout KS1 which uses a wide range of text types that link to the children's phonics phase.
Children take three reading books home; a book that matches the child’s phonics ability, a book to match current in-class phonics teaching and then a book that they may read for pleasure.
When children exceed the Oxford Reading Tree book bands, they move onto Accelerated Reader. Accelerated Reader (AR) is a reading management and monitoring programme that aims to foster independent reading. The internet-based software assesses reading age, and suggests books that match pupils' needs and interests. Pupils take computerised quizzes and earn AR points as they progress. We have an Accelerated Reader library which is located on the lower floor communal area, the books are arranged into book levels.
How do we teach Reading?
We teach children the skills and strategies they need to become fluent readers through Whole Class Guided Reading. Teachers model good reading to inspire a love of books and develop the necessary skills to become masters of reading. Each lesson will include opportunities to practice the key reading skills of retrieval, inference, prediction, vocabulary and summary. Each class has a bespoke collection of literature of high quality and value, where children can access a wide range of books for pleasure. Non-fiction texts, appropriate to current learning, will be displayed and enjoyed. These texts will be drawn from our ever-growing and improving non-fiction library. Reading is an intrinsic aspect of learning across the curriculum, whether it be reading a problem in Maths, accessing instructions in a Design and Technology session, using inference and deduction to explore a painting in Art or sourcing information for a topic from a book or the internet. Children are provided with many opportunities to read, enjoy and share books as well as being emerged in language rich environments with access to a breadth of vocabulary and print. At West Horndon Primary School, we celebrate literary events such as World Book Day, World Poetry Day and have regular Book Fairs.
How do we select the best texts for teaching in class?
Our texts are chosen based on the research carried out on reading spines by American educationalist, Doug Lemov. With carefully selected titles, which enhance teaching across our Bespoke Curriculum, children will be given the opportunity to experience five types of texts that children should have access to in order to successfully navigate reading with confidence. These are complex beyond a lexical level and demand more from the reader than other types of books.
Archaic language: Children will become fluent when accessing antiquated forms of expression, so that they can access more complex, historical texts. The size and richness of our vocabulary directly affects our ongoing success.
Non-linear time sequences: Children will be able to fully understand more complex story structures in which time, character or setting may shift.
Narratively complex: Books where the narrator may be unreliable or non-human.
Figurative/symbolic texts: Texts which happen on an allegorical or symbolic level which give children the chance to evaluate or challenge their own understanding
Resitant texts: In these texts, children have to assemble meaning around nuances, hints, uncertainties and clues. In these texts, inference skills will need to be developed and applied.
Authors in Residence
Our Authors in Residence, Chris Connaughton and Sam Scott, are regular visitors to our school. They are both much loved by the children who are inspired by meeting real authors who provide bespoke workshops in Reading, Writing and Drama. They also inspire the whole school by giving assemblies.
Librarians
Each year, we invite children in each year group to apply for the position of Librarian. These children will be chosen based on their demonstration of a love of reading as well as their ability to be role models to younger readers. Children in Year 6 become Lead Librarians and support younger children to manage book loans and returns via our Libresoft library system.
Our Librarians also oversee our TARDiS - West Horndon's very own mini community library! They curate stock, making sure that there is a good range of texts availble for everyone in our local community.
TARDiS Little Library
In 2022, the TARDiS landed at West Horndon Primary School. This has become a literary hub for the whole community – for children and adults alike – where books can be shared free of charge. We are lucky to be at the heart of a supportive community, and are never short of donations!
Book Vending Machine
Our book vending machine represents the latest step in the evolution of our library which is in the heart of our school.
The purpose of the book vending machine is to help us foster excitement and enjoyment in reading. Tokens are issued to children who can then use the machine to take a book that they wish to enjoy. The machine will be stocked with good quality donations
Children may access the machine in the following ways:
- Winning the star prize in Friday celebration assembly
- Successfully completing an AR Quiz with a 100% score
- Sustained and consistent reading with an adult at home (for those not yet on AR)
- Outstanding effort on homework (including voluntary homework linked to in-class learning)
The books are not theirs to keep, but they may return them when they have finished the book and they can be re-used – there is no set time limit for this.
How can you be involved?
We ask that all children in KS1 spend at least 10 minutes a night reading at home and in KS2, spend at least 25 minutes. Reading with your child at home has many benefits - no matter how old you are. In order to keep the teacher up to date with home-reading, parents can log their reading on BoomReader.
Our Reading Champions are volunteers that come into school and encourage reading for pleasure as well as boosting children’s confidence.