At Altmore Infant School we believe that reading is an essential life skill that enables children to develop their learning across the wider curriculum and lays the foundations for academic success.
We recognise the importance of taking a consistent whole school approach to the teaching of reading in order to close any gaps and to target the highest possible number of children attaining the expected standard or higher.
We have high expectations of all children and we encourage children to challenge themselves, persevere and always pursue success. Currently, children at Altmore Infant School have the privilege of taking 2 books home per term to keep.
These books are kindly gifted by London Children’s Book Project. As a school we have a LCBP ‘Green Hut’ where children have the opportunity to go and visit each term to take books home.
In EYFS & KS1, English lessons and Reading are taught through our bespoke units of work designed around a CLPE core text (wherever possible) each term. These units of work are designed by our teachers and aim to include:
- introducing a text
- making predictions about a text
- walking through a text
- reading a text and exploring the text in great detail
- role playing scenes from a text, focussing on using the story language and story vocabulary ordering the sequence of events
- taking part in comprehension/reciprocal reading lessons gamification to support vocabulary
- poetry at the beginning of each term (where applicable) to support the generating of ideas and vocabulary.
Please see our Yearly Curriculum Maps to see our termly core texts. https://altmore.newham.sch.uk/learning/curriculum-by-year-group/
As well as our bespoke planning around English children also have the following opportunities:
In EYFS
Daily opportunities
Phonic sessions for 25 minutes per day
English lesson around a core text including well planned provision around the core text
Story time before home time
Access to Bug Club later on in the academic year.
Weekly opportunities
Story times in the afternoons
Termly opportunities
Reading Café (see Exciting Reading additions)
Library visits to Newham Library
Summer Reading Challenge in the summer term
In KS1
Daily opportunities (revised and to be reviewed in December 2022)
Phonic sessions for 25 minutes per day, twice a day.
1hr English lesson
Story time before home time
Access to Bug Club
*Daily guided reading session will be brought back in from January 2023).
Weekly opportunities
Whole class Reciprocal Reading session
Story times in the afternoons
Bug Club
Termly opportunities
Reading Café (see Exciting Reading additions)
Library visits to Newham Library
Summer Reading Challenge in the summer term
Useful Websites
Oxford Owl
Book Trust
Literacy Trust
Love reading 4 kids
Books for topics – 50 Recommended Reads for Reception | 50 Recommended Reads for Year 1 | 50 Recommended Reads for Year 2