Phonics & Reading
Learning to read is one of the most important things your child will achieve at Merebrook. We recognise the importance of ensuring our pupils are provided with the necessary skills that will allow them to access the world they live, as well as promoting a true love for reading!
How do we teach reading?
The teaching of reading starts as soon as children start school in Early Years. At Merebrook we use the highly successful Read Write Inc (RWI) Phonics programme to teach children how to recognise and read the sounds in words and how to read what we call tricky red words, such as ‘once,’ ‘have,’ ‘said’ and ‘where’. Children are taught in homogenous groups to ensure speedy acquisition of both phonic and reading skills. Children continue to move through the RWI programme as they move through to Key stage 1.
In addition to daily phonics lessons, children in Key stage 1 take part in individual and whole class reading sessions, led by an adult.
The focus in these sessions shifts towards the children’s understanding of the texts they are reading as they become fluent readers and they begin to develop the skills of inference and deduction. In these sessions, children mostly share texts which link to topic learning so that they are able to make links with their learning across the curriculum.
Storytime and reading
Storytime - At Merebrook we love reading and books!
We aim for all our children to develop a love of listening to stories, reading stories and becoming confident and imaginative story tellers. Across the school there are dedicated story times each day to foster a love of reading. Our carefully selected collection of quality texts include “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors”—enabling children to view characters who reflect their own identities, who open windows to others who are different, and who provide doors to new experiences and realities.
Reading Books
Every child takes home a RWI reading book which is closely linked to the pupil’s phonics ability. In addition to this text, pupils also have the opportunity to select a library book to nurture reading for pleasure. Children are encouraged to read at home on a daily basis and to discuss what they are reading.
Children that are not making the progress we expect to see will receive 1:1 phonic tutoring by a qualified member of staff. The aim is for all children to ‘catch up and keep up’. Children that come to us from other schools at the start of September or mid-way through the year, will be assessed, grouped and supported with 1:1 tutoring, if required.