Learning and Living Together

Reading in Early Years

Reading in the Early Years at Cale Green Primary School

We recognise that being able to read is the most important skill children will learn during their early schooling and has far-reaching implications for lifelong confidence and well-being. Children at Cale Green begin their learning journey by being immersed in an environment where the development of speaking and listening skills is prioritised so children hear and use a broad range of vocabulary from an early age. To provide rich language experiences we model appropriate vocabulary, share books, sing songs and rhymes, play imaginatively and take part in a range of Phase One Letters and Sounds activities both in adult-led activities and in continuous provision. This ensures children are talking, listening and using a range of vocabulary, in preparation for discreet Phase Two Phonics teaching.

We hold open sessions for the parents and carers of children in our Nursery and Reception classes, so they can see and take part in multi-sensory phonics sessions, and invite family members in to our Early Years classes to tell or read a story to a group as a ‘Mystery Reader.’ Play Club bags are used to engage families in early reading activities and incentives such as the ‘Reading Rocket’ and a ‘Reading Bingo’ list engage families in reading a range of texts at home.

Home-school reading books are given to children in both Nursery and Reception, and our Induction processes emphasise the importance of families engaging in reading of both books and environmental print. We start with non-worded picture books and move on to decodable texts as they children learn letters and sounds so that they can use their new learning straight away. One to one reading takes place daily with a volunteer from the ‘Beanstalk’ charity, teachers, teaching assistants and with the bi-lingual teaching assistant. Information regarding reading is shared in children’s online learning journals and their reading diaries so that parents can see how their child is progressing and how they can help.

Each of our Early Years classrooms has enticing book areas which house a range of texts including fiction, non-fiction, favourites, picture books, decodable texts, number books, rhyming books and bi-lingual texts. In addition, texts are provided in our print-rich provision areas to support and extend learning. Adults regularly read with the children for fun: individually, in small groups or to the class. Shared stories feature as part of our daily routine: as a stimulus for challenges, to introduce concepts, to reinforce rhythm and rhyme, to stimulate discussion or simply to instil a love of reading, and book language is introduced and reinforced as part of this.

Tales Toolkit is well embedded within our Early Years provision and practice. This introduces the elements which create a structure for stories: character, setting, problem and solution. Using props and their imaginations children create their own stories and retell familiar stories. Once this is embedded, Talk for Writing is used to further explore both familiar and known texts.

The Cale Green Reading Bingo

Each year group from Nursery- Year 6 has a carefully chosen set of 20 books to either read or have read to. The aim is to give each child a broad range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry to enjoy throughout the school year. Each class has their own set of Reading Bingo books which can be borrowed and taken home to enjoy. Prizes are awarded at the end of the school year for those children who have successfully completed thier own Reading Bingo journey. (A set of the books can be found in one of the folders here) 

 

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