Reading Scheme and Phonics
Reading at Sacred Heart
At Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School we aim to inspire every child to develop a love of reading through immersing them in high-quality, engaging texts. All year groups share a wide range of stories with their children, from traditional tales and nursery rhymes to intriguing picture books and gripping novels. Please see our reading overview which shows the provision in place from Nursery to Year 6.
We also have a number of audiobooks across the school to support all children in their reading fluency. Please see our Audio book list to see some of the titles we have on offer.
At Sacred Heart we place a great emphasis on teaching our children to read and instilling in them a love of reading. This love is modelled daily by adults in school through many aspects of our curriculum and is encouraged at home. We recognise that reading is a hugely important life skill and therefore place great emphasis on producing confident and fluent readers.
Please find further information on appropriate books for children to read from Year 1-6. Many books have been recommended by children at Sacred Heart.
Recommended Books to read LKS2
Recommended Books to read UKS2
Phonics and Key Stage 1 reading
At Sacred Heart we are committed to providing every child with a strong foundation in reading and writing. To support this, we use the Little Wandle phonics scheme, a structured and evidence-based approach to phonics instruction. This scheme is designed to help children develop essential reading and writing skills through engaging and systematic teaching. This phonics approach is delivered in a whole class setting, daily to children from EYFS into KS1.
The Little Wandle program introduces phonics in a clear, step-by-step progression, ensuring that children build confidence and mastery in each stage of their learning. From the very beginning, students are taught to recognise sounds (phonemes), blend them together to read words, and segment them for writing. The scheme uses both decodable books and activities to reinforce the phonics knowledge learned in class, allowing children to practice reading with real success. Children will have three reading sessions each afternoon in addition to daily phonics instruction to build their fluency and prosody when reading. Children will bring the same text home to practice at home.
Key features of the Little Wandle phonics scheme include:
Systematic Approach: Phonics is taught in a structured order, ensuring children learn at a pace that builds their skills and understanding.
Daily Lessons: Each lesson is engaging and designed to provide plenty of practice and reinforcement, helping children make steady progress.
Decodable Books: These books match the sounds children are learning, giving them the confidence to practice reading independently.
Assessment for Progress: Regular half termly assessments ensure that children are progressing and receiving the support they need at each stage.
Children needing additional teaching receive this in immediately either 1:1 or in small groups on children with similar needs. We aim for children to ‘keep up’ not ‘catch up’ with their learning. Through Little Wandle, we aim to foster a love for reading and writing, setting our students up for success as they progress through their learning journey
Key Stage 2 reading
We are committed to ensuring children continue to love reading as they move into Key Stage 2. Our aim is to support children to become confident and independent readers, who read not only for information but for pleasure.
Our Key Stage 2 students participate in the Accelerated Reader (AR) program, which helps to motivate, engage, and assess their progress as they develop their reading skills.
What is Accelerated Reader?
Accelerated Reader is an interactive program designed to encourage students to read a wide variety of books at their own pace, while also helping teachers monitor and assess their progress. Students choose books from a curated list based on their reading level and interests. After completing a book, they take a short quiz to assess their understanding. The program provides instant feedback and rewards students with points for correct answers, which they can use to track their progress. Children also have at their fingertips thousands of books in the MyOn online library that they can read in addition to their physical reading book. These can be read independently or through the tool of audiobooks which lots of children enjoy.
How does AR work?
Book Selection: Students select books that match their reading ability, ensuring they are challenged but not overwhelmed. Our school library offers a wide range of books, from fiction to non-fiction, suitable for all interests and reading levels. Our reading ambassadors work hard to organise these and spot any gaps in levels for stock replenishment.
Reading and Comprehension: After reading a book, students take a quiz that tests their understanding of the text. The quizzes are fun and designed to help them think critically about the story, characters, and key themes.
Progress Tracking: Students earn points based on the accuracy of their quiz answers. These points contribute to their personal reading goals and overall progress in the AR program.
Incentives and Rewards: To keep students motivated, they can earn certificates and prizes based on their quiz results and accumulated points. We celebrate students’ achievements through regular rewards, reading challenges, and special events.
Why is Accelerated Reader Important?
Personalised Learning: AR allows each child to read at their own pace and level, ensuring they are always challenged and making steady progress.
Enhanced Comprehension: The quizzes promote deeper understanding and help students focus on key details, improving their comprehension and critical thinking skills.
Encouraging a Love for Reading: By making reading interactive and fun, AR helps students develop a lifelong passion for books.
Assessment: Reading assessments are completed termly to check progress and monitor which children may benefit from additional reading practice through group intervention or 1:1 support.
Our teachers regularly monitor progress through AR reports and offer support to ensure that every student is meeting their reading targets. Whether it’s reading for pleasure or developing literacy skills, Accelerated Reader is a valuable tool in our Key Stage 2 reading program. We encourage all students to take full advantage of the AR program and to enjoy discovering new books and expanding their horizons!
Support for Parents
Reading regularly and exploring books both at home and school is so important when a child is learning to read. Reading resources online can also be a fantastic tool to motivate children when reading. Please see below for a a list of recommended websites to support your child.
www.wordsforlife.org.uk - offers a huge variety of tips and activties for engaging your child and supporting them with reading at home. Click on the Parent Support area for more information.
www.phonicsplay.co.uk – play free online games to increase phonological awareness and practice sounds taught in school.
www.oxfordowl.co.uk- find lots of information and resources about reading and writing, including helpful phonics videos to demonstrate sound pronunciation.
www.topmarks.co.uk- phonics, spelling and punctuation games.
www.spellingshed.com- children from Year 1 to Year 6 can log on to their learning area to practice their weekly spelling and high frequency words for their year group. Spelling, punctuation and grammar games can also be played. Children to play alongside their peers and earn points on their leader board.
If you would like any more information about Literacy at Sacred Heart, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Mrs K McCaffrey
Literacy Lead