Reading

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” - Dr. SeussReading is at the heart of everything we do at Mount Nod. It is the key to our understanding of the world around us and prepares us for life. Our goal is to enable our pupils to read confidently, fluently and with understanding. We encourage an interest in words and their meanings, ensuring that new vocabulary is taught and embedded across the curriculum.

At Mount Nod, we have a range of reading books, which are organised into coloured bands. These bands allow children to make a guided choice when reading, choosing books appropriate to their ability. In Reception and Year 1, books are matched to our FFT phonics and reading scheme to provide the foundations on which to build comprehension and fluency. Children read to teachers and other adults regularly in school and we have a growing and supportive team of parent/ carer volunteers who come in to support with this.

At the beginning of each year, they are provided with training to enable them to use a range of reading strategies with the children. Our teachers also understand the importance of being reading role models and share their own reading choices with the children in their class.

Reading opportunities

We give the children many opportunities to read throughout the day. Reading is highlighted and applied in every area of the curriculum. The children also participate in whole-class reading comprehension activities, and independent reading sessions to practice skills, and story time is an important and enjoyable part of each day. Children are also invited to borrow books from our library selection to support reading for interest.

Some year groups have the opportunity to take part in our Reading Gladiators reading groups. Our Year 6 children also share books with their 'buddies' in Reception.

We enjoy taking part in national reading events, such as World Book Day and organise book fairs to promote a love of reading for enjoyment.

“There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” -Walt Disney 

Special Educational Needs

Pupils with Special Educational Needs follow the same curriculum as their peers. Where appropriate this may be adapted or differentiated. Children who make slower progress with reading are heard to read more frequently throughout the week. We have addressed the needs of our Dyslexic children by providing training for teaching staff and developing Dyslexia friendly strategies within the classroom. Children who need additional help can access support through structured, multi-sensory activities.

Reading at Home

At Mount Nod, we understand the important role that parents play in fostering a lifelong love of reading in our children. Research shows that the more frequently parents and children can talk, play games and read together, the more successful they will be in later life. To support with this we organise Reading Workshops for parents which provide information, ideas& resources, throughout the year.

Sharing a book with a child is fun! It's a time for closeness, laughing and talking together – and it can also give children a flying start in life and help them become lifelong readers.  If you’re not feeling confident about reading aloud or sharing books, don’t worry – there’s no right or wrong way to enjoy a story together. If you’d like some tips, click here for a few pointers to help you out.

Click here for more information to see how you can help your child with reading at home.

The Book Trust has recommended the top 100 best books for children - click here to find out more.

Your child's reading, writing, speaking and listening skills will develop massively as they grow older. Find out more about what to spot at each age by clicking here.

Phonics

We have recently invested in the new FFT Success For All Phonics Scheme. This is a complete systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programme that has been validated by the Department for Education and supports children to learn all the skills needed to successfully read, write and spell.

At Mount Nod our mission is to provide our children with the skills they need to become fluent readers. We want our children to enjoy and comprehend a range of texts and appreciate the important role that reading plays in life. We also want them to understand the steps they need to take to become a fluent reader.

Click here for further information about FFT Success For All Phonics Scheme    

At the end of Year 1, the children’s knowledge is assessed using the National Phonics Check. This tests their ability to read a range of Real and Nonsense words. Those children who did not pass their Year 1 phonics check will be able to retake the test at the end of Year 2.Support continues into Year 3 and beyond, if needed.

Year 1 parents are invited to a Phonics information meeting during the Spring term. During this meeting, we share information about the Year 1 phonics screening check that takes place in June.

From Year 2 onwards, children continue to work on their phonics knowledge and begin to focus on segmenting for spelling, spelling rules and strategies using the FFT spelling scheme' Jungle Club'. In Key Stage 2 this support continues with our Spelling Shed Spelling Scheme.