At Mapplewell Primary School we believe reading is an essential life skill. Reading is an exciting and rewarding activity and is much more than the decoding of marks on the page. It is a search for meaning, which requires the reader to be an active participant in the process.
Carefully chosen literature, plays a key role in enabling pupils both to acquire knowledge and to build on what they already know. All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society; pupils, therefore, who do not learn to speak, read and write fluently and confidently are effectively disenfranchised.
Pupils must acquire good reading skills in order to access the information that will support their development in all curriculum areas. Furthermore, research highlights that reading for pleasure is the most important indicator of future success. We feel all pupils need to be equipped with a range of strategies to be able to tackle unfamiliar text. They need to be able to recognise on sight a large number of high frequency and common exception words, to be able to use phonic and other linguistic cueing strategies, and probably most important, they need to understand and be able to infer and deduce from the text what they read. The children must have plenty of opportunities to practise the strategies they need for fluent, expressive reading.
Pupils are encouraged to read regularly both at home and at school and have access to a wide variety of quality texts, some of which they may take home. Parents are encouraged to help, to listen to, and to discuss books with their children on a daily basis, and are given assistance from school in possible methods to use.
At Mapplewell Primary School we teach reading through LIRA, a daily approach to teaching essential reading skills. This whole school approach to reading is taught daily from Year 2 to Year 6. Thirty minute sessions are allocated first thing every morning, allowing all pupils to be taught the necessary skills involved in developing comprehension and inference.
The LIRA approach helps pupils to develop comprehension skills based on Literal, Inference, Readers’ response and Author’s intent questions. Through this approach pupils are supported to develop the skills needed in order to answer different types of questions. High quality texts are utilised effectively with a focus on exposing pupils to a broad range of authors and developing vocabulary.
Through practicing these skills daily, pupils are able to develop their comprehension and inference skills as well as being introduced to new vocabulary which they are then encouraged to apply both orally and in their writing. High quality whole class texts are chosen to reflect pupils’ abilities and interests, focusing on a wide range of quality literature including: fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Texts are read and introduced in small sections and pupils are supported in answering different types of questions through differentiation.
LIRA skills are recorded so progress and attainment in reading comprehension can be effectively tracked and monitored. Effective formative assessment, daily marking and feedback and adult interaction within lessons is firmly embedded into our approach to teaching and learning. All pupils are supported to develop, progress and move their learning forward through support, questioning and feedback. Pupils demonstrate the impact this has on improving their learning through editing and response.
The use of clear learning objectives and success criteria ensures pupils understand their learning and become self-regulated learners who aspire to achieve to their full potential. The use of success criteria allows pupils to assess their learning independently. Pupils and teachers refer to this throughout the lesson when they are assessing the progress they have made. HCAT trackers are used in order to pitch lessons appropriately, ensure pupils are learning the required skills for their year group and to assess reading. In addition to this, two summative assessment points are scheduled within the academic year. Cross moderation occurs in school every term during moderation challenge meetings.
The use of formative and summative assessment ensures learning is based on a comprehensive understanding of pupil progress, attainment and gaps in learning.
All pupils are encouraged to read widely across both fiction and non-fiction to develop their knowledge of themselves and the world in which they live, to establish an appreciation and love of reading, and to gain knowledge across the curriculum.
We firmly believe reading widely and often increases pupils’ vocabulary because they encounter words they would rarely hear or use in everyday speech. Reading also feeds pupils’ imagination and opens up a treasure-house of wonder and joy for curious young minds. We celebrate pupil's reading journeys through rewards and prizes such as 'The Mystery Read' which is drawn on a weekly basis.
Our aims at Mapplewell Primary are that all pupils should become confident, discriminating readers of a variety of texts, and regard reading as a life-long pleasure. By the end of their primary education at Mapplewell Primary, all pupils are able to read fluently, and with confidence, in any subject in their forthcoming secondary education.