Once children at Fowey School complete the Read, Write Inc programme, they move to Whole Class Reading lessons. In these lessons, reading is taught daily and every child is engaged in purposeful reading every day. A reading programme has been developed to ensure that all pupils are able to access reading age appropriate texts whilst developing comprehension skills.
Whole Class Reading allows all pupils to read with the teacher more often. They move faster through more or longer texts and benefit from the teacher’s expert explanations, modelling, questioning and feedback.
Through the structure of the reading lessons, pupils are provided with key vocabulary before they reach it in the text, the skills to identify the type of questions and the skills and knowledge required to answer them.
During a reading lesson, the questions are unpicked for meaning, the teacher models answers for the children, the teacher reads to the children and then they work independently using this modelling to help where needed. Answers are then given and discussed so that the pupils understand where have been successful and how to improve. Pupils who find it difficult to access the text are supported by a TA.
We have chosen texts which we feel will inspire and engage our children. Each year group covers a range of genres and text styles to challenge the children in their reading skills and understanding of the world around them. We looked at the genres from the National Curriculum Programmes of Study and the Five Plagues of Reading from ‘Reading Reconsidered’ by Doug Lemov when making these decisions to ensure a breadth of genres and text structures. Alongside this, we have chosen books that will provoke thought and response and broaden the children’s access to a range of authors and themes.
Each Whole Class Reading text has been chosen for a particular reason: to develop knowledge of a topic; for its level of vocabulary; structure of the text; interest level of the children or phase of school year / life. For the majority of the children, these texts will expand their vocabulary and knowledge about a topic and will challenge their thinking. Some children will need help to access the text and this will be provided during the session. Others will be challenged to discuss and evaluate at a deeper level about the structure, vocabulary and content of the text. All children will be taught to explain their answers, using evidence from the text where appropriate