Reading

At Marine Academy Primary, we love reading and value the many benefits that it provides. We believe Reading for Pleasure is key for academic success and it plays a big part across our Curriculum on a daily basis. We promote a reading culture that inspires children to love reading, makes them want to read and helps them to develop into ardent, avid readers and life-long learners.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go!”

Dr. Seuss

Reading happens every day in our Academy, in many different ways. All year groups have Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) sessions at least once a day. This might involve the children reading independently or being read to by the class teacher; it is a time for everyone to literally drop everything and enjoy reading, nothing else!

In EYFS, through daily storytelling and Literacy sessions, the children become immersed in stories that are at the heart of the learning and used as stimulus to develop language, vocabulary and foundational skills. Years 1 to 6 have Whole Class Reading lessons which focus on a different book each term; these are quality texts chosen by the Reading Leader and supported by Literacy Shed+ resources. Adults and children read the book together; discussion and learning are focused around skills such as fact retrieval, inference, understanding an author’s choice of punctuation and vocabulary, or summarising what they have read so far. Key Stage Two classes also have Independent Reading Time throughout the week. This is a time for the children to read books independently, with their friends or as a class. They are able to enjoy ‘book talk’, sharing their likes and dislikes, and making recommendations to each other. Most importantly of all, all of these lessons focus on the pleasure of reading, of discussing a text in depth and sharing each other’s thoughts as they enjoy reading together.

Each classroom has its own ‘Class Library’, containing a selection of books which is directly linked with the class topic, amongst other books chosen by the children and adults. This offers opportunities for the children to apply their reading skills across the curriculum and further develop their understanding and knowledge of their current topic. The Academy’s Library is a well-loved space which all children from Nursery to Year 6 visit regularly, either to choose a book or to work with our Library Assistant. Sessions can include input from adults about different authors, discussing and listening to stories, or children can take out a book to share at home with their family. We work closely with our local Schools' Library Service to keep our book stock current, and to ensure that we have something for everyone. Children are encouraged to make suggestions to staff of any books that they’d like to see in the Academy’s Library.

Children in Reception and KS1 follow Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised phonics programme and read books which are closely matched to their phonics ability. The decodable reading practice book, which they have read in school three times, is taken home on a Friday, to ensure success is shared with the family. We call this their ‘showcase book’. Reading for pleasure books also go home for parents to share and read to children.

Children in Years 3 to 6 follow Accelerated Reader (AR) - a reading management and monitoring programme that aims to foster independent reading. The internet-based software assesses reading age, and suggests books that match pupils’ needs and interests. Pupils take computerised quizzes on the books and earn AR points as they progress.

We love Accelerated Reader because it: gives children significantly greater choice in levelled books that offer appropriate challenge; provides immediate and regular feedback to children; allows teachers to make in depth and accurate assessments of children’s reading and comprehension; motivates children to read independently and more frequently; and helps to develop a love of reading!

Children are able to choose books within their level from in their classrooms or from the Academy’s Library. We work with our local Schools' Library Service to keep our book stock current and to ensure that we have something for everyone. Children are encouraged to recommend books to each other and to make suggestions to staff of any books that they’d like to see in the Academy’s Library.

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”

Joseph Addison

Phonics

At Marine Academy Primary, we firmly believe that all of our children can become fluent readers and writers, the direct teaching of which, starts with Phonics. Therefore, children in Nursery and Pre-School participate in planned speaking and listening activities that are matched to their developing needs. The teachers draw upon observations and continuous assessment to ensure children are stretched and challenged and to identify children who may need additional support.

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In Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, children follow Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, which is a Department for Education validated systematic and synthetic phonics programme. The programme ensures that children build on their growing knowledge of the alphabetic code, mastering phonics to read and spell as they move through school.

At Marine Academy Primary, we model the application of the alphabetic code through phonics, in shared reading and writing, both inside and outside of the Phonics lesson and across the curriculum. We have a strong focus on language development for our children because we understand that vocabulary, speaking and listening are crucial skills for reading and writing in all subjects.

We value reading as a crucial life skill, therefore, by the time children leave us, we expect that all children will have acquired the skills necessary to read confidently for meaning and regularly enjoy reading for pleasure and purpose. Through a relentless and rigorous approach to the teaching of Phonics and early reading, our readers are equipped with the tools to tackle unfamiliar words as they read. More detailed information can be found in our Phonics and Early Reading Policy.

Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar

In Key Stage 2, children move on to learning Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPaG) and teachers plan for these sessions using the Spelling Shed programme. Children learn the strategies, knowledge and skills needed to spell independently. Lessons are based on a four part cycle of revisiting prior learning, teaching and practising new concepts, applying new learning and assessing children’s understanding. Teachers also skilfully include SPaG techniques throughout all English sessions and throughout other lessons when the opportunities arise. The 'Do Now' at the start of English lessons is SPaG related, providing children with the opportunity to revisit and rehearse previous learning, enabling it to embed in their long term memory.

Writing

At Marine Academy Primary, we endeavour to create a love for writing. We want every child to leave the Academy with the skills of an excellent writer who:

• Has the ability to write with fluency and has an author’s voice;
• Thinks about the impact they want their writing to have on the reader and knows how they will achieve this;
• Has a sophisticated bank of vocabulary and an excellent knowledge of writing techniques to extend details or description;
• Can structure and organise their writing to suit the genre they are writing and include a variety of sentence structures;
• Displays excellent transcription skills that ensure their writing is well presented, punctuated, spelled correctly and neatly;
• Re-reads, edits and improves their writing so every piece of writing they produce is to the best of their ability and better than the last - all children achieve a ‘Personal Best’ which is kept inside their books; each time they beat it they receive a Headteacher’s prize and a new Personal Best replaces the previous.

Throughout their time at Marine Academy Primary, children develop their writing skills by exploring a whole range of different genres. We expect the highest standards of writing every time a child writes in any subject, not just in English lessons, and place great importance on the planning, drafting, editing and rewriting process when writing at length.
Teachers plan their writing sessions using No Nonsense Literacy, No Nonsense Grammar and Hamilton Trust resources.
Some of the genres the children will experience are as follows: