Phonics and English at Vane Road
Page under review - January 2025
At Vane Road Primary school reading is at the very heart of everything we do; learning to read allows children to open the door to the wider world and unlock their imaginations. It is therefore our priority to ensure that our children not only learn the skills and knowledge to enable them to read, but also to nurture a love of reading that will stay with them forever.
Within our broader English Curriculum planning, our intent for reading is clear:
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We aim to install a love of reading for each child.‹
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To expose all children to a wealth of language rich texts.‹
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To be independent and resilient readers. ‹
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Within Key Stage One children will reach the expected standard in phonics and become fluent, confident early readers.
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Children will develop their comprehension skills enabling them to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of literature.
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Children to be exposed to a world of words which they can take with them on their learning journey.
Phonics
We are following Little Wandle Letters and Sounds at Vane Road.
For more information about phonics please click here to access the phonics page.
Writing
Reading and writing go hand in hand! We believe that through our creative curriculum we provide children with vast opportunities to write for different purposes and audiences. Whether they are writing a letter to the Queen in Y2 or writing an epic Viking saga in Y6, at Vane Road we believe every child is a writer.
Spelling
Once children have completed the Little Wandle phonic programme, they will progress onto learning more complex spelling patterns. We currently focus on teaching strategies to support spelling and this includes the statutory word lists.
Children will get spellings to learn once a week. Spellings are handed out each Friday and children will be tested on these words the following Friday.
Please see attached the statutory word lists for each year group. The lists are a mix of words pupils frequently use in their writing and those which they often misspell.
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Handwriting
At Vane Road we are very proud of our pupil’s handwriting and take particular care in our cursive handwriting style.
We use Letter-join’s on-line handwriting resource as the basis of our handwriting policy as it covers all the requirements of the National Curriculum.
Reading
Reading is very much at the heart of everything we do at Vane Road and this journey begins in Reception. Our reading scheme in EFYS and early KS1 is phonics based and consists of wholly decodable books.
We use Little Wandle Letters and Sounds books to support reading in EYFS and Year 1. These books are specifically tailored to support the phonic phase each child is working at.
Titles include a range of fiction and non-fiction for all to enjoy.
As our children progress with their phonics, they will progress through the reading stages. We have a wide selection of books to support and enthuse or pupils.
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Accelerated reader
Within our school we use Accelerated Reader. This is a computer-based programme which helps us manage and monitor your child’s independent reading. Once your child has finished reading a book, they will take a short quiz on the computer. Passing the quiz is an indication of how well your child has understood the text. Our children really enjoy taking the quizzes and progressing onto new book levels.
To access our school’s Accelerated Reader page, please follow the link below and log in as normal.
https://global-zone61.renaissance-go.com/welcomeportal/2235677
To check if a book is on Accelerated Reader, please use the link below. Simply type in the title of the book or the author’s name to search.
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Reading Comprehension
Each week children have a dedicated reading lesson which teaches them key reading skills outlined below.
KS1 Content Domains
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Draw on knowledge of vocabulary to understand texts
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Identify and explain key aspects of fiction and non-fiction
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Identify and explain the sequence of events in texts
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Make inferences from the text
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Make informed predictions about what might happen next
KS2 Content Domains
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Give and explain the meaning of words in context
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Retrieve and record information and key details
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Summarise main ideas from more than one paragraph
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Make inferences from the text using evidence to support answers
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Predict what might happen next using details stated or implied
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Identify and explain how information is related and contributes to meaning as a whole
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Identify and explain how meaning is enhanced through the author’s choice of words and phrases
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Make comparisons within the text.
With interesting texts from a wide range of genres, children develop their knowledge and love of new vocabulary which is interwoven throughout our creative curriculum.
Reading for pleasure
Reading for pleasure
We encourage our children to read as often as they can and we as teachers love to share stories, poems and new vocabulary. There is a real BUZZ about reading within our school and we hope to inspire a love of reading that will stay with a child forever! From poetry performances to author visits, we aim to expose our children to a culture where stories and words are celebrated and enjoyed.
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Reading Rainbow
We believe that our children deserve to experience stories and books that challenge them. Because of this ethos, we have created our Reading Rainbow which outlines a carefully mapped out progression of our class texts. These books and poems have been selected based on the theory that children should have access to five types of texts in order to successfully navigate reading with confidence. We have also added an additional strand where staff can select a book for fun.
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Archaic
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Non-Linear Sequence
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Complexity of Narrator
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Complexity of Plot / Symbol
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Resistant Texts
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FUN!
Please see our reading progression for this year (file available here)
