Preston Primary School, Station Road,
Preston, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU12 8UY
Email:
office@prestonprimaryschool.co.uk
Telephone: 01482 896800
Safeguarding Lead: jferguson@prestonprimaryschool.co.uk
English
'The more that you read, the more things you will know. the more that you learn, the more places you'll go' - Dr Seuss
Reading
Learning to Read (EYFS and KS1)
Our reading journey begins in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 where we recognise that a synthetic and systematic approach to teaching phonics is incredibly beneficial alongside exposure to high quality texts. We follow the Floppy’s Phonics programme to enable children to successfully decode words using synthetic phonics. Children in the Foundation Stage and KS1 read books which are closely aligned to the phonics that they are learning to ensure that they have plenty of opportunities to practise and apply their developing decoding skills. The ‘Little Blending Books’ give children lots of opportunity to practise their developing phonic skills at home as well as at school.
Children in Key Stage 1 also take part in regular shared reading sessions which help to develop their comprehension skills and their pace and fluency when reading. Choral reading, re-reading familiar texts and learning stories and poems by heart also help our developing decoders to become expressive and fluent readers with a love of language and books.
Reading to Learn (KS2)
Through independent reading, shared reading in literacy lessons and cross-curricular sessions, guided reading and reading for pleasure, reading in Key Stage 2 develops and extends the skills acquired in Key Stage 1. Our Focus English Curriculum is based on high-quality texts that form the basis of our curriculum and which give all children the experience of reading and discussing a large number of quality picture books, children’s novels and non-fiction texts during their time with us. This work also stimulates much of the writing in our English curriculum and develops a wide vocabulary. Children are given opportunities to speculate on the tone and purpose of texts they explore as well as considering both the texts’ themes and audience. The books that we have chosen to focus on both stretch and excite our pupils. Specific books have been purchased to interest both boys and girls.
Phonics teaching continues during KS2 until children are confident and accurate decoders who read with good pace and fluency. Interventions including Reading Recovery and Dyslexia Gold are implemented where necessary to ensure progress is made by all children. In KS2 NFER reading comprehension assessments are used twice a year to pinpoint and diagnose any reading difficulties and to help plan interventions and inform planning and teaching in the classroom.
We are acutely aware that the best way for your child to make effective progress with their reading is for the school and families to work together. Plenty of advice and support will be offered to you when your child starts school as to how you can read with your child and how often. We also provide children with a personalised bookmark with lots of tips, together with words and sounds to practise when reading at home.
We hope that throughout your child’s time with us, you will continue to help and encourage their reading development in a multitude of ways, but we see the prime role as being a supportive and enthusiastic listener, providing an opportunity for the skills covered in their lessons to be tried out at home.
If you have any questions at all regarding how your child is learning to read, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our school staff.
Preston 70
At Preston we recognise how crucial reading is as a life-skill but also how a love of literature can inspire and enrich our whole lives. This year we introduce our ‘Preston 70’ - 10 books to read in each year group, from the Foundation class to Year 6. In exploring these high quality texts, it is our intent that our children will see reading as an enjoyable activity, developing a familiarity with a range of texts, learning what their preferences are and developing a life-long love of reading. Our collection of books in each year group include literature, nonfiction and poetry, chosen carefully with the age of the children in mind as well as the curriculum.
Children are invited to choose these books in any order they wish and their progress through the books will be tracked by their class teacher - a sticker given on their special bookmark to mark each book successfully read or shared with an adult at home. Once a book has been read, class teachers will ask a few questions to check children’s knowledge of the book - also helping to develop comprehension skills. Come on everyone - let’s get reading!
Writing
At Preston Primary School, we intend to create confident writers who develop a love of writing. We aim for all of our children to be independent writers, building on a range of skills as they work through each journey of writing and for them to be able to write for a range of purposes and audiences. At Preston, we believe in a gradual and well-supported writing journey, where children can take inspiration from quality literature and teacher modelling. Our learners are challenged and encouraged to take risks, view mistakes as part of the learning process and work collaboratively with others to excel their writing.
