Reading

INFORMED   INDEPENDENT INVESTED   INDIVIDUAL

Reading at Ilketshall  

INFORMED

We work hard in school to make sure our children are informed about brilliant authors.  Our classroom book corners and the library showcase a variety of our favourite books and children are encouraged to have a voice when it comes to choosing the books that are featured. In class, we read a wide range of high quality texts.  We talk about the authors and encourage the children to make links with similar books by different authors and other books written by the same author.  In whole-class reading sessions we look at the way each text has been written and discuss the choices the author has made and why, asking questions about how each text is effective.  We also use books to ensure we are informed about the world around us.  Non-fiction books are excellent for this but fiction can also open up new worlds to us – consider the learning that goes on when reading a book like Journey to Jo’Burg.  Using topic-related texts and making cross-curricular links is essential here as it allows pupils to deepen their understanding in many different subjects.

INDEPENDENT

We encourage children to read independently as well as reading in small groups and to an adult.  Silent reading happens in most classes every day and is a great way to encourage that independent love of reading.  Once children are on the ‘free reader’ level, they are able to choose their own reading book (with help and guidance from an adult, if needed).  Again, this encourages independence and allows them to find out which genres they enjoy. We also discuss the books children are reading and we read together to encourage children to think critically of the work other authors have produced. 

INVESTED

Wider reading, particular of texts that explore important issues, is a great way for children to feel invested in the world around them.  For example, to read a first person account of slavery in a novel will make a huge impression and deepen understanding of the subject – this all helps our children to know about their world, its history and the way it has changed  - helping them to care about their world and be invested in it.

INDIVIDUAL

We encourage children to find what makes them tick and to read deeply about subjects that interest them.  We encourage them to read widely but we also acknowledge that they will often have a favourite author and want to read everything written by them.  It is our job as teachers to recommend something similar, to try and encourage variety and breadth. Reading is often described as the gateway to the world and we nurture this in every child. Through reading they can truly discover what interests them, they can explore their feelings toward different topics and they can expand their worlds beyond any classroom walls.