The Journey of Reading at Woodside Primary Academy

The teaching of reading is to be given a high priority by all staff. Success in reading is crucial in developing children’s self-confidence and motivation to learn. We believe that success in reading opens doors to a world of knowledge. 

As reading is a complex skill with many components, at Woodside we have adopted a comprehensive and consistent approach to the teaching of these skills in school. The ability to read is fundamental to many aspects of life. In order to access the wider curriculum, children need to be confident readers who can understand, interpret and apply what they read to other areas of learning.

Our aims:

• To develop a love of books and reading
• To develop reading strategies and skills: fluency, accuracy, understanding and response to different texts
• To read and enjoy a variety of texts from a variety of sources: library, class book corners, ICT, guided reading and class reader
• To create a strong, embedded reading culture through a rich language environment within classrooms and through shared and guided reading
• To deliver a structured and consistent whole school approach to reading
• To recognise the value of parents/carers as essential components in supporting and developing children’s reading skills and love of reading
• To rigorously monitor and assess children’s progress in reading and identify those who require extra support and intervene at an early stage

Nursery

Immersed to start their reading journey through:

• songs, nursery rhymes and action rhymes
• phonological awareness and sound discrimination
• shared stories
• RWI - initial sounds are introduced during the Summer Term prior to entering Reception
• story times daily

Reception

We follow the Read Write Inc. Programme. This ensures we meet the expectations of the National Curriculum and the Early Learning Goals; the teaching of systematic, synthetic Phonics begins immediately when the children start school.  At Woodside, we have clear expectations of pupils’ phonics progress and this is reviewed daily in the phonics lesson and more summatively each term, to ensure the children reach age - related expectations. All children at Woodside continue with a phonic education through KS1, with each element applied to spelling as well as to reading.  

SEND

Children who do not reach age - related expected levels of attainment in phonics by the end of KS1 may continue through other years with this approach for spelling, reading or both.  Where phonics is not a preferred route, for example for some of our SEN learners, they will take the precision reading approach.

For the first part of each Guided Reading session, all pupils engage with a shared class text. This dedicated time helps children develop their vocabulary, fluency, prosody (expression and intonation when reading aloud) and oracy skills, while fostering a deeper understanding and enjoyment of high-quality literature. Through discussion and modelled reading, pupils learn to become confident, expressive readers who can communicate their ideas effectively.

Class texts are also carefully adapted to ensure that every child can access the learning at an appropriate level. Independent reading tasks include differentiated, levelled questions that support pupils to develop key reading strategies, build understanding and respond with confidence. This approach enables all pupils to participate meaningfully in reading lessons while making progress from their individual starting points.

Reading books

As a school, children in Reception are introduced to “Ditty Books” when they successfully begin to read single words. We follow the RWI Story Books (Ditty) which ensures the sequence of reading books shows a cumulative progression in phonics so children in Year 1 leave as confident speedy readers, ready to take on the challenges of Year 2.  All children have access to quality class text (fiction and non – fiction) and this forms a part of our school curriculum.

Our main aim is to foster the enjoyment of reading for pleasure. Interactive and stimulating book corners can be found in every classroom and pupils are offered a diverse range of reading materials. Teachers promote the enjoyment of reading by reading to their class on a daily basis by reading a class novel outlined below.

Children will also be given the opportunity to visit the local library to promote a love of reading throughout the year. The celebration of World Book Day creates a focus for promoting reading across the whole school which children and staff thoroughly enjoy.

Introduction 

At Woodside Primary Academy, we believe that reading is the key to success across the curriculum and beyond. Our reading curriculum is carefully designed to ensure every child develops the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to become a fluent, enthusiastic and lifelong reader. 

Our Reading Journey at Woodside Primary Academy 

At Woodside Primary Academy, we recognise that every child develops as a reader at their own pace. While many children complete the Read Write Inc. Phonics programme by the end of Key Stage 1, some children in Years 2 and 3 continue their phonics journey to ensure they develop secure decoding skills, reading accuracy and reading fluency. 

Flexible Phonics Groups 

Children are taught in targeted phonics groups that are carefully matched to their stage of reading development rather than their age. These groups are flexible and responsive, allowing children to move quickly as they make progress. Through regular assessment and careful monitoring, we ensure that every child receives the right level of challenge and support. 

Assessment and Progress: No Child Left Behind 

To ensure that no child is left behind, we use PM Benchmark Running Records to help us understand and support each child’s reading development. Teachers listen to children read a carefully selected text and record information about their accuracy, fluency, reading strategies and comprehension.

These running records help teachers identify each child’s strengths and areas for development, choose appropriately challenging books and plan targeted reading support within our guided reading sessions. They are one part of our wider approach to assessing reading and are used alongside classroom observations, comprehension activities and other assessment information.

This responsive approach allows us to provide timely support and helps every child make the best possible progress on their reading journey.

From Learning to Read to Reading to Learn 

Once children have successfully completed the Read Write Inc. Phonics programme and can read accurately, fluently and with confidence, they move on to Read Write Inc. Comprehension. This programme bridges the gap between learning to read and reading to learn, equipping children with the skills they need to understand, discuss and respond to increasingly challenging texts. 
 
Read Write Inc. Phonics → Read Write Inc. Comprehension → Whole-School Guided Reading 

What is Read Write Inc. Comprehension? 

Read Write Inc. Comprehension helps children develop the higher-order reading skills needed to understand and respond to increasingly challenging texts. Through engaging fiction and non-fiction texts, children learn to retrieve information, summarise key ideas, make predictions, infer meaning, explain their thinking and justify their responses using evidence from the text. The programme also strengthens vocabulary, grammar and writing skills through carefully planned discussion and writing activities. 

Developing Deeper Comprehension Skills 

Children participate in structured discussions, partner talk and written responses that help them think critically about what they read. These activities build confidence, improve oral language skills and deepen understanding across a wide range of texts. 

Reading to Learn 

As children become increasingly skilled and independent readers, they transition into our whole-school Guided Reading curriculum. Here, they engage with a rich range of high-quality fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Guided Reading enables children to deepen their understanding, broaden their vocabulary and develop the advanced reading skills required across the curriculum. 

How Parents Can Support Reading at Home 

Parents and carers play a vital role in developing confident readers. You can support your child by reading together every day, listening to your child read aloud, discussing books, stories and characters, exploring and explaining new vocabulary, encouraging your child to talk about what they have read and continuing to share quality texts even when your child is reading independently. 

Reading Together 

At Woodside Primary Academy, we encourage families to make reading an enjoyable part of everyday life. Whether sharing a bedtime story, visiting the local library or discussing a favourite book, every reading experience helps children build confidence, fluency and enjoyment that will support them throughout their education and beyond. 

Together We Create Lifelong Readers 

By working in partnership with families and through our clear reading pathway of Phonics → Comprehension → Guided Reading, we ensure that every child is supported to become a successful, confident and enthusiastic reader.