At Wildground Infant School reading is of paramount importance. We aim to create passionate readers who embrace reading a wide range of genres. To encourage and support the children’s reading we have a wide range of high quality texts within our library and in every classroom.

In 2019, we introduced a new phonics and reading scheme called Read Write Inc. (RWI.) This rigorous and dynamic approach to phonics supports the children in recognising decodable words through daily practise. After regular assessments, the children are accurately grouped according to their phonic awareness. Children will build confidence in recognising and applying new graphemes. To support this at home, the children will take home a book, which mirrors in school learning, alongside a Book Bag Book that is also suitably matched to their phonetical awareness.

Every classroom has an inviting book corner hosting a range of fiction and non-fiction texts. There are key questions surrounding this environment to support the children’s independent comprehension skills.  A selection of the books located in classroom book corners have been hand selected by the children themselves from the School Library Service mobile library exchange.

Our school library is stocked with a wide selection of non-fiction and fiction books including many quality picture books. We are supported by School Library Service to ensure we choose quality literature that is age and ability appropriate. Children come into the library at least once a week to change and renew their own library book which is a self-chosen book they wish to read regardless of their ability. During the school week children also use the library to support the curriculum in a variety of ways from researching a specific topic to learning about how to use a library search catalogue. As another way to show a love of books we offer a recycling service called ‘Books with Legs’, where we encourage children to donate their well-loved books for others to then enjoy.

In our daily practice, all classes have a reading session to spend time independently reading. Whilst this is happening, it provides class staff with the opportunity to listen to individual children reading, recognise and celebrate strengths and address next steps, which are then shared with our families. Within Nursery and Early years the children engage in a daily core story session, whilst year one and two classes are engaging in a daily guided reading lesson using a high quality text driver. This builds on the children’s comprehension skills including prediction, inference and the sequencing of events. As well as this, each class will have a daily story time to support reading for pleasure. During this time, the class teacher will read a high quality, engaging story ranging from The Little Red Hen to The Giraffe the Pelly and Me.

To support reading at lunchtimes, boxes containing a selection of books are accessible within the quiet area of the playground. This was a request from the children themselves through our Wildground wishes.

Our Reading Provision:

Powerful Poetry

At Wildground, we value the impact of poetry on enhancing children’s vocabulary, their speech and enabling them to develop reading skills such as pitch, volume and inflection. To provide frequent exposure to a range of high quality poems, we have introduced Powerful Poetry. At the beginning of each unit of English learning, we introduce a new poem linked thematically to the new topic. The children are given the opportunity to explore the poem through reciting, creating actions and through exploring pupil voice in relation to each poem.

Below is an example of how Powerful Poetry was used to introduce year 2 children to a topic on rescue.

 The children were able to use the poem to describe what dangers the seas and oceans provide and embraced the opportunity to recite the poem whilst incorporating their own actions.