Reading Rationale – Building A Reading Culture
At Birkwood Primary School, we know that reading is the key to success. Therefore, reading sits at the heart of our entire curriculum. The prioritisation of reading begins as soon as children enter our Foundation Stage in Nursery and continues throughout school. Our goal is to ensure that every child becomes a reader.
Reading is crucial so that children can access every stage of their education. Our intention is that every child knows how to read for different areas of the curriculum so that they move to the next stage of their education able to read for different subjects and eventually use this knowledge to enter the world of work. Reading for pleasure is also a central focus as children who have positive attitudes to and develop a love reading are more likely to succeed. We understand the importance of children learning to read well but also aim for all children to see themselves as readers.
“Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection, we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience.”
Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop
Skilled reading requires accurate, speedy word reading and good language comprehension. We teach children to decode accurately and with automaticity at the start of primary school and continue this journey by actively teaching reading fluency once children are ready.
“Reading fluency is the bridge from phonics and word study to comprehension.”
Timothy Rasinski
In close conjunction with this, we recognise that children need to access a broad, balanced curriculum which allows them to comprehend increasingly more complex texts. Reading comprehension is supported by practising strategies to uncover the meaning of texts but this only follows once children are reading sufficiently fluently. Reading comprehension requires knowledge of vocabulary, context, syntax and narrative structure and the capacity to read fluently.
Our carefully chosen reading spines map out our children’s reading journey once they have completed the Read Write Inc. phonics programme. Texts have been Lexile checked and have been expertly mapped out to provide breadth, depth and challenge. Children become fluent readers before diving into comprehension activities which supports their progression as informed by the latest and most up to date research, guidance and best practice. Reading across the curriculum has also been thought through so that children access, read and understand the structures and joys of non-fiction reading. We expose children to a broad range of high-quality texts across the curriculum, which builds cultural capital in order to enhance imagination and provide children with entertainment, fulfilment and knowledge.
“Pupils might re-read a section from a non-fiction text from a history lesson or a demanding poem that all the class has learnt by heart.”
DfE The Reading Framework 2023
All staff and governors consider the teaching of reading to be a priority and continually strive to improve and develop to ensure that our children are fluent, competent readers by the time they are ready to leave. So, from the very start of their journey with us, all our children are encouraged to develop a love of and enjoyment of reading. They are exposed to high quality texts and read at regular, frequent and timetabled opportunities throughout each and every day.
Reading opens doors to so many different worlds! Our ultimate aim is to enable our children to access a wealth of available literature both in school and beyond, in order to learn about the world around them as life-long reader learners.
“Reading engagement and reading for pleasure lead to a range of social, personal, and intellectual outcomes. These include enjoyment, social and cultural capital, social interaction, knowledge, creativity, empathy, self-expression and understanding of self and others. They also lead to health and wellbeing outcomes such as mental health, physical health and relaxation.”
The impact of reading for pleasure and empowerment, The Reading Agency
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