Early Reading

Bayside Academy’s approach to the teaching of reading

Alongside our Storytime in KS1, Bayside Academy use the synthetic phonics scheme Read Write Inc. It is a phonics-based approach to reading which allows children to progress at a rate individual to them. By learning the smallest sounds, children can break down unknown words to read fluently, as well as, learning words that cannot be sounded out. The aim is to become a successful and independent reader, ensuring children have a love of books and an enjoyment of reading.

Storytime

Story Time is timetabled daily and is a protected slot of time where pupils can enjoy a wide selection of books that have been carefully selected to build cultural capital and introduce pupils to different cultures and communities. Story Time books are also used as an opportunity to develop vocabulary, with pupils unpicking and applying key vocabulary from these books throughout the week.

Bayside Academy Phonics

Read, Write Inc 

Reading skills in the lower school are taught mostly through Ruth Miskin’s Read Write, Inc. phonic scheme. The children begin learning letter sounds in Reception and put them together to read simple words. They also learn some key words, which cannot be sounded out. They move on to reading very short stories, called ‘ditties’, followed by longer and longer texts over the next 2 or 3 years, until they are fluent. They also answer questions about the texts that they have read. All of this is done in the context of a small group, set according to the children’s own reading confidence.

Children bring home a book that closely matches the sounds that they are learning from the RWI scheme each night to read at home. Parents are required to spend 5-10 minutes each night helping their children to read and discuss the book with their child. Children are also encouraged to bring home a book to share with their grown ups. 

Assessment

We strongly believe that pupils need to keep up with their peers rather than being helped to catch up at a later date. To ensure that any pupil who is at risk of falling behind is identified rapidly, we assess pupils’ phonics progress every six weeks which then inform the teaching groups. These assessments inform professional judgements and also highlight any pupils who are at risk of falling behind and therefore need swift intervention. To support these pupils to fill any gaps they have in their knowledge we offer a range of early reading interventions including; 1:1 tutoring and 1:1 daily reading.