At St. Mary's we have invested in high quality texts to use in the teaching of reading. These texts have been carefully selected to match topics as closely as possible; where we are unable to find topic related books, we have selected high-quality text from recommended reading lists, from the BookTrust.
Each day, children take part in a daily Guided Reading session to develop their reading skills using these texts as a foundation for this. We teach comprehension skills through a combination of questions stems, that focus on different skills which we refer to as Reading VIPERS; the use of active comprehension activities and drama opportunities.
Here are some examples of the different texts that we read across the school:
Fiction and Non-fiction
Daily, class teachers share a high quality text with their class that is purely for their enjoyment.
The suggestions for these texts are made by teachers and children. The children choose their book by voting from a selection after seeing the cover, then reading the blurb, and listening to the first chapter. It has been a great way for children to discover new facts; new authors; and new genres of writing.
In our classroom we all have reading areas for our children to access, these are stocked with a range of different texts including magazines, non-fiction texts, and fictional works. Children have opportunities to use these throughout the day. In these areas, there are also spaces where children can find recommended text, and where they can also recommend texts to others that they have read.
Daily Poetry
We believe that children need to be exposed to a variety of language and sound patterns to help them to develop their understanding of language structures. Children across the entire school are given the opportunity to listen to a poem each day. These poems come from a variety of different high-quality anthologies and collections, which have come recommended from Pie Corbett's poetry spine.
Book Corners
Children have access to well-stocked book areas where they can continue to engage in a whole range of different text types. These areas also give children the chance to recommend reads to their friends.
Book Swap
We have set- up a book swap to encourage children to bring in old reading materials from home and change them from a new one. When they have finished, they can bring it back and swap it again.
The School Library
Our school library is well-stocked and it is regularly updated with new books from the Education Library Service. We have a dedicated team of Year 6 pupils who act as Librarians, ensuring the library is in good order and sharing books with younger children.
Our Staff and Children love reading and recommending their favourite reads for others to enjoy. Have a look below at what we love and why we love to read it!
Staff recommended reads
Children's recommended reads
