Whole Class Guided reading  

At Drayton Community Infant School, we believe that the ability to read is fundamental to pupils’ development as independent learners, during their time at school and beyond. Success in reading has a direct effect upon progress in all areas of the curriculum; therefore, reading is given a high priority at our school. Evidence of our success with reading over the years can be seen in the results and achievements of children. Our Phonics scores were well above National average in 2019 and by the time our children leave us at the end of Year 2 our data is significantly above national average. However, in order to support the children further in Year 2 we would like to explore changes to how we deliver reading sessions. In addition to this, and more importantly, we would like to support children in developing positive attitudes to reading which will encourage them towards life-long reading. With this in mind, we are trialling a new approach to the teaching of reading where the emphasis will move from ‘small group guided reading’ to ‘whole class reading’. In Whole Class Reading, there is a high level of interaction between teachers and pupils. Children are exposed to high-quality texts and discussion in an immersive environment. Texts are carefully chosen by teachers to provide appropriate challenge that builds on pupils’ existing knowledge and understanding. More traditional approaches to guided reading often see a teacher work with a small group, the teaching assistant will work with a small group and the rest of the children work independently. Over time, this can result in less progress for those children who do not work with an adult. 

10 top tips to encourage children to read in support of Reading Together Day

To support the very first Reading Together Day, we have published tips for parents and carers of primary-aged children to help them encourage and support their children to read. They contain ideas on how to plan reading opportunities at home and make reading enjoyable and engaging, including during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-top-tips-to-encourage-children-to-read/10-top-tips-to-encourage-children-to-read

Reading VIPERS