Reading
At Whiteheath Junior School we value the teaching of reading very highly; learning to read is one of the keys to independence in learning. Children who read for enjoyment every day develop a broader vocabulary, increased general knowledge and a better understanding of other cultures.
We believe the most important factors in learning to read are: enjoyment, understanding, confidence, independence and fluency. We aim to promote a lifelong love of reading. In order to do this, children are encouraged to read a wide variety of genres during their time here. They have access to reading materials through a well-resourced library as well as books in class and books at home which all provide a reading rich environment. Our children will be both independent and reflective readers who can read fluently and for meaning.
Children use a variety of reading skills from early synthetic phonics to decoding and skimming to enable them to access all other areas of learning. As children’s reading develops at different rates, teaching is tailored to each child. Children read daily in the classroom either though individual reading or whole class reading.
Whole Class Reading
Whole class reading is taught in the children's classes three times per week for half an hour. During these sessions, children read texts from a range of fiction and non-fiction texts. Whole class reading sessions focus on teaching reading skills, such as retrieval and inference.
Adults hear their children read regularly, either through whole-class reading sessions, 1:1 reading sessions or weekly library sessions.
Reading Books
Each child has a reading book which they are expected to read at home. We use the online Collins Big Cat system to issue children with a reading book on the appropriate level. More information on our reading book system can be found on the 'How to Support Your Child' tab at the bottom of this page.
Of course, we recognise some children find it easier to read books in their traditional paper format, so these are available for the children too - please ask your child's class teacher if you would prefer a hard copy of your child's reading book.
Class Books
We recognise the importance of reading to children, for enjoyment, for building a shared passion for favourite books and as a way of introducing new vocabulary and developing an understanding of story structure. Teachers plan at least one daily session of reading their class book to the children - teachers choose their class book based on what they think their current class will enjoy!
Library Visits
Each week, every class visits our library for half an hour, where children have the opportunity to change their library book and read with their class teacher.
Reading Curriculum
Useful Websites
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Books For Keeps - This site has many book reviews with recommended reads. It is updated regularly to include new releases!
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Love Reading 4 KidsThis site provides list of ‘must reads’ for children according to their age range.
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UK Children's Books - This site provides you with a list of popular children’s authors, illustrators and publishers.
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Words For Life - This site has book lists and a range of reading related activities under each age group.
Monthly Book Recommendations from Book Trust
How to Support Your Child
Reading at Home
Our reading scheme is Collins Big Cat. This is an award winning scheme made up of real books written by real authors. Reading books are graded by difficulty by reading levels known as Book Bands. Each Book Band has its own colour and this is a nationally recognised scheme. Big Cat has:
- Over 500 books for 3-11 year olds
- Half of the books in each band are non-fiction. They cover: science, geography, history and much more
- Plus there are poetry books, plays and traditional tales.
- Struggling readers are supported with Progress books and top readers challenged with Pearl
- Comprehension and reader response activities are included in every book to get children really thinking
The books vary in a number of ways, including content, layout, size, vocabulary and length, to give the children a rich diet of literature. The difference between each colour band is very gradual, so that children do not experience great difficulty moving up through the scheme.
Progress through the bands is not automatic and it is important to ensure that children working in the earlier bands have secure understanding so that they remain in control of the text and motivated as they move on to more challenging texts. There will be a wide range of reading abilities in each school year.
As a rough guide, children should be able to read at least 90% of the words on the page without any problem. If the book is too easy, they can become bored. If it is too difficult, they can become frustrated, and may have to concentrate so hard on reading the words that they lose the enjoyment of understanding the story.
A word of caution! You will be doing your child no favours if you rush them through books. It is not a race, it is a journey! Children learn at different rates just as they learn to walk, dress themselves etc. at different rates. Reading must not be treated as a competition. If children are rushed through the books, they will not achieve the enjoyment and understanding necessary. Books that they find too difficult will soon put them off reading! On average your, child should complete one Big Cat book a week, but for the longer more complex Big Cat books it may take them up to two weeks. Please sign and comment in your child's reading record to let us know that you have heard your child read.
Things to Remember
- Do hear your child read every day if possible.
- Little and often is more beneficial than a long session once a week.
- Think about how long you are reading for. The amount of reading time shouldn’t exceed your child’s span of attention.
- Pick your timing carefully – it’s best not to embark on a reading session when your child is tired.
- Every child is an individual - try not to compare your child’s progress with other children or with brothers and sisters.
In addition, children select a library book from the fiction library organised to correspond in difficulty to their Big Cat reading book. These are to be read at home and are for pleasure, allowing your child to develop reading stamina and understanding.
Once children complete the reading scheme, they move on to ‘free’ reading when they are given suggested reading lists and allowed to choose from the ‘free’ reading selection in the library. At this stage the emphasis is on range and quality of response.
End of Year 6 Expectations
By the end of Year 6, children will be able to:
- maintain positive attitudes to reading and an understanding of what they read by:
- continuing to read and discuss an increasingly wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books or textbooks
- reading books that are structured in different ways and reading for a range of purposes
- increasing their familiarity with a wide range of books, including myths, legends and traditional stories, modern fiction, fiction from our literary heritage, and books from other cultures and traditions
- recommending books that they have read to their peers, giving reasons for their choices
- identifying and discussing themes and conventions in and across a wide range of writing
- making comparisons within and across books
- learning a wider range of poetry by heart
- preparing poems and plays to read aloud and to perform, showing understanding through intonation, tone and volume so that the meaning is clear to an audience
- understand what they read by:
- checking that the book makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and exploring the meaning of words in context
- asking questions to improve their understanding
- drawing inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence
- predicting what might happen from details stated and implied
- summarising the main ideas drawn from more than 1 paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas
- identifying how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning
- discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, considering the impact on the reader
- distinguish between statements of fact and opinion
- retrieve, record and present information from non-fiction
- participate in discussions about books that are read to them and those they can read for themselves, building on their own and others’ ideas and challenging views courteously
- explain and discuss their understanding of what they have read, including through formal presentations and debates, maintaining a focus on the topic and using notes where necessary
- provide reasoned justifications for their views
Please visit our Video Gallery to hear our children share their work on 'The Tin Forest' - a book which was shared with one of our international school partners.