Reading
At Cranmore Infant School, our reading curriculum aims to develop confident, fluent readers who enjoy books and understand the power of reading. We foster a love of reading while equipping children with the skills they need to decode, comprehend, and discuss a wide range of texts. Our curriculum supports the National Curriculum and ensures children build strong foundations for lifelong reading.
What We Teach
Our reading curriculum focuses on three key areas:
- Phonics and early reading – taught through the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme, which provides a structured and systematic approach to learning to read.
- Fluency – developing accuracy, pace, and expression when reading.
- Comprehension and vocabulary – helping children understand, discuss, and respond to texts through structured book talk.
Children are exposed to a rich variety of high-quality texts including stories, poetry, and non-fiction. They develop skills such as predicting, questioning, clarifying meaning, and making connections with what they read.
How We Teach
Reading is taught through a combination of structured phonics lessons and opportunities to explore and discuss texts.
- Daily phonics lessons follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme.
- Children take part in reading practice sessions where they apply their phonics knowledge to read carefully matched books.
- Book talk sessions develop comprehension, discussion skills, and vocabulary through shared reading and meaningful conversation about texts.
- Class story time and reading for pleasure are embedded throughout the school day to encourage a lifelong love of books.
To ensure high-quality teaching, staff receive regular professional development and weekly coaching to support consistent and effective delivery of phonics and reading instruction.
What Children Learn and How We Assess
Children develop the skills to become confident readers who can both decode words and understand what they read. They learn to:
- Apply phonics knowledge to read words accurately.
- Read with increasing fluency and expression.
- Discuss texts and develop a rich understanding of vocabulary.
- Share ideas, ask questions, and explain their thinking about what they read.
Assessment includes:
- Ongoing assessment within Little Wandle phonics lessons and reading practice sessions.
- Regular monitoring of reading fluency and phonics progress.
- Observation and questioning during book talk sessions.
- Pupil voice and work scrutiny to ensure progress and engagement with reading.
This ensures pupils develop strong early reading skills and a genuine enjoyment of books, preparing them well for future learning.
KEY CURRICULUM INFORMATION
National Curriculum for English - CLICK HERE
