Success for All phonics continues throughout Year 1 in the same way that it is delivered in FS through a daily phonics and daily reading session. The children are provided with a shared reader book matched to the phonics they have been taught. These shared readers are accessed through the SfA Phonics’ parent portal so the children can access the shared readers at home too. We are working towards providing physical copies of the shared readers for the children to take home.
Alongside this, we have aligned other phonetically decodable books to match the SfA steps in order to increase the range of books available to children.
At various points throughout the school day, children gather to listen to stories, poems, rhymes and songs. These are re-read to help build familiarity and confidence.
Reading at Home
Information about how to access the parent portal is given to the parents weekly on a reading card which also tells them the GPCs being taught that week and which number shared reader book they need to access. The parent portal also provides useful videos for parents so that they can support their child effectively.
Children in Year 1 are also provided with a Reading Diary where parents and teachers can record the child’s reading.
The children are also encouraged to take home books of their choice to promote reading for pleasure. Parents are made aware through the use of the Powerful Reading bookmarks that this is a book to share rather than for their child to read independently.
Reading Assessment
Children’s progress is regularly monitored and each half term the children are assessed using the FFT Reading Assessment Programme (FFT RAP) which shows the progress the children have made and identifies areas for development. Children in Year 1 also sit NFER reading assessments termly, from the Spring term.
During the Summer Term in Year 1, all children nationwide take part in the Phonics Screening Test. If children do not achieve a pass, they are then reassessed during the Summer Term in Year 2. For those children who did not pass the Year 1 Phonics Screening Test, further intervention is put in place and support from the SENDCo is sought if it has not already.
Phonics
In Year Two, our phonics assessments inform our teaching of phonics. In the autumn term, GPCs that need consolidation are revisited, following the SfA Phonics lesson structure that has been established in FS and Year 1 alongside the SfA daily reading session.
Guided Reading
In the Spring and Summer terms, children take part in daily guided reading sessions following the Routes to Reading programme. These are planned to develop fluency, comprehension and vocabulary. Choral reading, echo reading and answering a range of questions are key aspects. These will develop the reading competencies needed for the children to be fluent, confident readers who engage with and understand what they have read.
Reading at Home
In Year 2, those children who have mastered the phonic code use our colour bands as a guide for making their selection of books to take home. Teachers talk about strategies for making book choices. Those children who continue to need support with phonics take home books that match their phonic skills and continue to access the SfA daily phonics and reading sessions alongside accessing the shared readers on the parent portal.
Children have a reading diary where both parents, teachers and pupils can record their reading.
Each day, teachers read to the class for 15 minutes. They may share poems, stories or non-fiction books.
Reading Assessment
Children’s progress is regularly monitored and each term the children are assessed using the FFT Reading Assessment Programme (FFT RAP) which shows the progress the children have made and identifies areas for development.
Year 2 children are assessed using past SATs papers which teachers use to inform their teacher assessment judgements and planning. In the Summer Term, children in Year 2 sit the end of Key Stage 1 National Curriculum Assessments also commonly known as ‘SATs’. The children will be given two reading assessments that will focus on the children’s understanding of various texts. From May 2024, these assessments are optional for schools.