In Key Stage Two, pupils at Kingsland continue their reading journey through various means.
Pupils engage in daily Guided Reading and English lessons, where they are exposed to a diverse range of high-quality texts from various authors across generations.
The exposure to these texts as well as texts read by the teacher at the end of the school day enable children to not only develop their reading in ability and comprehension but also foster their enjoyment of reading.
Guided Reading
In Key Stage 2, guided reading sessions are conducted during the school day. These sessions are held daily and consist of five 30-minute sessions per week. During each session, children have the opportunity to practice, reinforce, and enhance their reading skills in one of the following areas: phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary.
Each week, children engage in reading texts and completing activities from Reading on Your Head, a comprehensive resource designed to enhance their comprehension skills. This step-by-step guide equips children with essential skills and strategies to effectively articulate their understanding of diverse texts. Additionally, it provides creative ideas and activities to extend their enjoyment and engagement with reading.
Children are taught to develop their reading fluency through various shared reading techniques, including echo reading, paired reading, and choral reading.
Individual Reading
The children entering year 3 undergo an assessment using the ‘Collins Big Cat Assessment Tool’. They read an excerpt from a book, and their performance is evaluated accordingly. Based on their reading and comprehension abilities, each child receives a book that aligns with their needs. The book selection encompasses a diverse range of fiction and non-fiction titles within each colour band.
Children will only be assessed using the tool if they’re new to the school or if the teachers want to reinforce the idea that the child needs to move up a book band. For children who require additional support with reading, one-on-one reading sessions with a staff member will be scheduled throughout the week.
Children also have the option to choose a book from the school library. As they progress to Key Stage 2, they are encouraged to make more independent choices, which will help foster their love for reading. They are expected to take care of their library books and change them when needed.
Each classroom has a well-stocked and inviting book corner that children are free to use and borrow books from. These book corners contain a variety of texts suitable for different abilities. Encouragingly, children are also encouraged to discuss their reading choices and expand their reading horizons by offering recommendations to their classmates.
Children’s reading records are checked regularly to ensure the children are reading at home and to keep count of how many times each child has read. Here at Kingsland we reward children with a certificate every 25 times they have read at home. When they hit 75 times, the children get to choose a book to keep from the book box.
Assessment
There are numerous methods employed to evaluate the children’s progress and accomplishments in reading.
Guided reading sessions offer teachers valuable insights into their students’ reading progress. By carefully analysing the children’s oral and written responses, teachers can effectively track their progress in each content domain.
The teacher uses the information to plan suitable teaching and learning opportunities to ensure that all children make good progress in all aspects of reading.
At the end of each term, the children will administer a more formal reading assessment. They will read a diverse range of short texts and be required to answer questions presented in various formats, including multiple-choice and those that necessitate more extensive and detailed responses.
These tests assess progress against the domains. The teacher analyses the results and uses them to inform planning for the next half term. The assessments are intended to be a tool for teachers to support their professional judgment.
Books read in Year 3 and Year 4
Books read in Year 5 and 6
Credits:
Created with images by ra2 studio - "Yellow lights and sparkles coming from an open book " • Fabio Principe - "Young boy on retro mini van transport read a book Life inspiration concept with family minivan adventure trip reading a blast relax moment Student doing homework outdoor camping holiday near the sea"