S.E.N.D. Readers

Regular Phonics Keep Up and intervention groups are timetabled to aid children to practice sounds and blending.  These include multi-sensory approaches and lots of repetition and review of phonics taught in class.  In some instances, children who have not passed the phonics screening test by the end of key stage one (Year Two) will continue to benefit from direct phonics teaching by joining phonics groups at the appropriate level in key stage one but will more usually work in small phonics/spelling groups to revisit phase 2-5 phonics progression as necessary, following an assessment to find out any GPCs the children are not secure in.

Some key stage two pupils are directed to choose a phased reading book alongside their library book, if they are working below age related expectations or need further practice of fluency development.  In Lower Key Stage Two, children who are working below age related expectations in reading access regular small group interventions in phonics/decoding and fluency/reading development, in place of whole class spelling and whole class reading teaching.

We also use Accelerated Reader (AR) - this includes a ‘Star Reader’ assessment (to assess fluency regularly) and directs children to select books within a particular range in order to help progress their reading development at a rate that suits them.

Reading Champions

At Coltishall we are supported in our efforts to teach reading. We have parent volunteers who have been trained to do two things. Firstly, they know how to listen to children read and secondly, they know how to read to children who aren't read to regularly at home. They come into school and work with the same children every week, for a term or longer. The training they have received enables them to encourage fluency development, to deploy the VIPERS techniques and to know about our Little Wandle Letters and Sounds phonics programme. Teachers identify pupils who need to be read to and ensure too, that all children are heard regularly.