Additional Strategies to Support Reading
Clipboard Readers
Each classteacher closely identifies the lowest attaining 20% of readers within their class to become their ‘daily readers’. High priority is placed on reading with these children, and their progress is closely monitored. Selections are flexible and different children are targeted at different points in the year.
Reading Recovery
Kentmere is a Reading Recovery school. Reading Recovery is a short term intervention for the lowest attaining children in English in KS1. It is a 20 week programme that involves 1 to 1 daily teaching of 30 minute lessons taught by a specially trained teacher. Children work on continuous text and each lesson is personalised.
Reading and writing are important for everything a child will do at school and later. Life can be very hard for children who cannot read or write well. We believe that by identifying children who are struggling early, and giving them a series of carefully planned bespoke lessons, we can stop reading and writing becoming a problem for them.
Better Reading Programme
Teaching Assistants across the school have received initial training to enable them to implement the Boosting Reading at Primary programme. This has started to be implemented across school and targets children working just below expectation to enable them to build confidence and catch up to their peers.
Speech and Language
At Kentmere Academy, we are dedicated to supporting children’s early speech and language skills, setting the firm foundations for future learning. In Nursery, groups of children take part in the Early Talk Boost intervention and children in Reception participate in the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI). A trained speech and language Teaching Assistant delivers sessions primarily for EYFS, but also for other groups requiring support throughout the school.
Fluency
Fluency is the bridge between automatic word recognition and language comprehension. Once children can recognise a number of words on sight and track them accurately within a text, we encourage them to build their fluency to read smoothly and with appropriate pace. Their understanding is aided by well-phrased, expressive reading which allows them to recognise the meaning behind the text. Our rich variety of texts and schemes allows them to practise this in different genres.
Vocabulary Lessons / WCGR / Small Group Reading
Priority is given to building and improving vocabulary from EYFS through to Y6. This is part and parcel of daily teaching, and teachers enjoy learning new words alongside their classes. Each class has a dedicated weekly Vocabulary lesson which is fun and interactive to encourage them to investigate words in a wide variety of contexts. They are then encouraged to use and embed this newly acquired vocabulary in lessons across the curriculum. Vocabulary exploration is not just limited to the weekly lesson, and explicit technical and topic-based vocabulary is taught in all lessons. Our enrichment flight path and interactive classroom also enable children to learn new vocabulary alongside meaningful experiences.
At Kentmere, all groups of children have a dedicated small group focussed read with a member of staff twice a week Lessons follow the Reading and Modelled Practice (RAMP) reading structure to secure children’s vocabulary and background knowledge to aid their comprehension. Once children are confident in applying their phonics skills to segment and blend appropriate words, lessons are carefully tailored to specific objectives and each group’s needs to ensure progression. Alongside small group reads and individual reads, each class also has two whole-class guided reading sessions a week. This gives an opportunity to further embed vocabulary development in context, as well as sharing a range of opinions and observations.
Reading Ambassadors
Kentmere Academy Reading Ambassadors are positive role models and are dedicated to promoting reading throughout the school, developing a love of reading for all children. They often go into different classes to hear children read, read to them and support the teachers in organising reading events, such as World Book Day, Starbooks and reading competitions.
Teacher’s Bookshelf
As part of our reading for enjoyment philosophy, we recognise the importance of staff as role models for children. We have a number of displays around schools with photographs of staff enjoying their books, door signs with current reading material – both for classes and adults and have recently set up a staff book swap library. There is a section on the reading newsletter dedicated to books that have inspired teachers across the Trust; both as children and adults. We aim to make natural discussions about what we are currently reading part and parcel of school life.
Starbooks
Our Starbooks Days and displays in and around classrooms give the chance to focus on a range of established authors and their works. We aim to make children knowledgeable about a diverse and varied range of authors who they may be inspired by, and themes that may be pertinent to their lives. This is a further opportunity to celebrate and enjoy reading alongside their peers, and usually features hot chocolate and cosy environments to make positive experiences and memories for the children.
