At Mayplace, we know that reading is key to developing children’s understanding of themselves and the world around them. As part of our Green Curriculum, we want children to engage with a range of people, places and ideas which will allow them to become global citizens in a rapidly changing world. Our core texts are at the heart of these learning experiences. On a daily basis, teachers read aloud to children from high-quality texts (both classic and contemporary) which form the basis of each half-termly topic, and around which all other lessons are based. We expose children to ambitious vocabulary, challenging themes and engaging stories which capture their imaginations and help to develop a love of reading from an early age.

As soon as children start at Mayplace, teachers help children to acquire a wide range of vocabulary, promoting a love of stories, poetry, rhymes and songs in order to generate an early love of language. Our school is a language-rich environment where teachers and pupils select interesting vocabulary from modelled texts and display them on working walls to inform and improve their own ideas. Book corners and class libraries are an attractive and stimulating area which promote reading and contain a selection of good quality children’s texts, which are easily accessible and displayed.

Reception

• Children begin with books with no text to encourage them to use picture cues to tell the story using story language. Children continue using a range of texts beginning at an appropriate level of the phonics taught so far and these are changed weekly.

• Children are given weekly opportunities to change their book from the class library and there are many opportunities to model reading.

• Observations of reading are kept on physical reading records, which are updated weekly.

• Individual reading takes place throughout the year.

• Parents record when their child has read at home, again with comments and observations if appropriate on Class Dojo.

• Comprehension skills are woven through reading time, both whole-class and weekly 1:1 reading. Questioning is employed and contextual knowledge is shared with the children to ensure their understanding of each text read to them is strong. Children make predictions, discuss character choices and make inferences before moving to independent activities which are linked to a core text. Their understanding is deepened through adult questioning. 

Reading in Key Stage One and Key Stage Two

In Years 1 – 6, we follow the CUSP curriculum for reading. Lessons follow a 6-phase structure based on Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction. Emphasis is placed on rich, ambitious, diverse literature supplemented by bespoke texts. Lessons include specific instruction for prosodic reading, comprehension strategy and vocabulary with a carefully planned progression and focus on building schema. 

Storytime

At Mayplace, we encourage children to connect with their learning and develop a deeper understanding of the themes and issues being explored through storytelling.

We encourage the tools of storytelling, including: 

• Adults reading high-quality literature aloud to children daily.
• Adults include the use of oral stories (without reading from texts).
• Children are encouraged to develop oral stories, allowing them to be creative and add their own flair.
• Storytelling includes interactive elements, engaging the children and developing their confidence to try new things in a safe environment.
• Facial expressions, intonation, dramatic readings are used to model effective storytelling (developing strong links with writing).