Reading

At Blofield Primary School, we believe in developing a reading culture throughout the school. We are passionate about fostering a love of reading, with a rich and diverse library, encouraging students to read at home, providing reading challenges, library visits and inviting authors to share their stories and insights with us. We raise the profile of reading through a print rich environment, attractive book displays and promoting the written word at all times. 

Early Reading

In July 2021, the DfE released a new reading framework The reading framework: teaching the foundations of literacy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) This highlights the importance of having an SSP (systematic synthetic phonics) program that is fit for purpose. We have chosen Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised as our new phonics scheme because it is the revised edition of Letter and Sounds, which we had used previously. This scheme also has:

• Excellent training for all staff to ensure consistency
• Every aspect of phonics and reading included in a detailed, thorough and systematic approach
• Engaging resources without distracting from the learning
• A comprehensive system for identifying and supporting children requiring extra help
• Useful support for parents.

Please see the parent presentation below which explains in more detail how we teach phonics to your children in YR and Y1 and check out the Everybody Read link below.

Reading books in Year 2 and in Key Stage 2

In Year 2, children no longer need to read the Little Wandle reading books (unless they did not pass the Phonics Screening Check). Mr Heasman (Y2 teacher) will assess their reading level and they will read appropriate books from a range of schemes to read in school independently and with an adult, and to practise at home. When ready, they will begin to use Accelerated Reader (see below).

Accelerated Reader (AR)

AR is a computer programme for children in Key Stage 2 which helps teachers to manage and monitor children’s independent reading practise. Your child will choose a book at their own level and read it at their own pace. When finished, your child will take a short quiz on the computer – passing the quiz is an indication that your child has understood what they have read.

STAR Reading is one of the assessments used by teachers to check progress and determine your child’s reading age and book level. The levels range from 0.2 – 13.5 and each child is given a range eg, 2.5-2.9 to challenge them without causing frustration or loss of motivation.

We regularly update our library to provide a vast range of fiction and nonfiction that is on Accelerated Reader; however, if parents would like to check books outside of school and see if they are on Accelerated Reader, they can visit -

To access Accelerated Reader at home -

Teaching Reading

Reading is taught whole class for 30 mins daily at least 4 times a week from Year 2. Lessons consist of ‘Book Talk’ sessions, demonstration comprehension lessons and independent comprehension lessons. ‘Book Talk’ sessions are adapted from Jane Considine's 'Hooked on Books' approach which engage children in understanding all the elements of comprehension through reading whole books. Comprehension lessons often use excerpts or extracts of fiction, non-fiction and poetry texts.

‘Book Talk’: in these sessions our children read by themselves, with a partner or to their whole group. Children use the 'Reading Rainbow' to read and respond to texts through different lenses within three different zones of reading: The Fantastics, The Stylistics and The Analytics. Book Talk is key to developing oracy skills. Children collaborate in groups using sentence stems and high utility words to develop a Book Talk response