Reading

‘Creating the conditions for children to develop confidence in themselves as learners, discoverers and critical thinkers is vital in a rapidly changing world.’

Pluckley Church of England Primary School is dedicated to making reading a stimulating, engaging and creative experience that allows a culture of enthusiasm, appreciation and confidence across all areas of the curriculum. By reading in school, we aim to create a generation of young readers that are independent, have a varied and diverse vocabulary and that celebrate our unique literary heritage. We hope to unlock the potential in all children, encouraging lively and enquiring minds that expand both their own horizons and the world in which the live. This is alongside the pleasure of creativity, imagination and discovery that is inherent in all reading.

 

As reading enables children to access all areas of the curriculum and the wider world, it is a subject that is taken very seriously by staff members. As part of thematic topic based learning, children read and explore a key text everyday. Additionally, pupils are taught the skills of reading and comprehension using a VIPERssss model. This approach usually involves pupils exploring a text (in different genres) over a 2 week cycle, whereby they explore vocabulary, inference, predictive, evaluative, retrieval, summarizing, sequencing and scanning skills, while exploring the language and intent of the author to build and develop skills which will be needed in later life.

 

Children have dedicated reading sessions daily and regularly to encourage independent reading, both in school and at home in partnership with parents and carers. Children are actively encouraged to read a variety of genres, styles and techniques in order to make learning varied, accessible and enjoyable. As such, all teachers aim to use a multisensory approach that uses methods such as audiobooks, guest speakers, drama, film, theatre and e-books as well as exciting and relevant books in the classrooms in order to make reading accessible to all learners, no matter their preferred learning styles.