Reading
Reading in the Lime Trust EYFS Curriculum begins with early engagement in language and enjoyment of sounds, songs and rhymes. The life-long love of reading is encouraged with our youngest learners by building storytelling and language comprehension into the entire curriculum by placing vocabulary at the heart of taught sessions and play. Sensory stories and environmental approaches are used throughout the Early Years to develop language-rich provision and facilitation of vocabulary acquisition as phonemic awareness is built. As learners progress into Reception they access a Systematic Synthetic Phonics Programme that teaches skilled word reading and develops to decoding and pronunciation of unfamiliar printed words. Their comprehension skills are developed to ensure there is secure understanding of what has been read and to support children in making links with wider learning and understanding of their world and new contexts they are faced with.
To support with the vital language skills needed to effectively improve in reading and writing we also use the Nuffield Early Language intervention (NELI) in the Early Years. The Nuffield Early Language Intervention is a 20-week programme proven to help young children overcome language difficulties. It is designed for children aged 4-5 years and combines small group work with one-to-one sessions delivered by trained teaching assistants, targeting vocabulary, narrative skills, active listening and phonological awareness. In Reception and Year 1, we teach reading through a synthetic phonics programme, Read Write Inc and writing using the Write Stuff approach. In Read Write Inc, learners learn through a systematic programme and regularly revisit and make links to this learning throughout their daily wider curriculum. This enables them to retrieve and apply their phonics knowledge to their reading and writing in other contexts. Initial assessment material indicates the best starting place for each learner. Learners are re-assessed each half-term to measure progress and to adapt the programme to make sure learning is personalised.
When learners have completed the Read Write Inc programme, they move on to Ready Reader in Year 2 then Destination Reader. This is used to form a complete literacy programme for fluent readers, taught on a daily basis for 1.5 hours (45 minutes Destination Reader & 45 minutes of writing using the Write Stuff approach) and integrating National Curriculum Reading and Writing. The aim is for all learners in Years 2 to 6 to read, write and discuss texts with maturity. Teachers plan for explicit links between Destination Reader texts and Writing lessons. Intervention programmes are offered to children who are not meeting the expected standard for their year group.
Destination Reader is used across the Trust Schools. It promotes a consistent, structured approach to daily reading sessions in KS2 that encompass the key principles of effective reading provision and fully meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. It also builds a culture of reading for pleasure and purpose. Lexia, an IT-based programme, is also used to support children with their reading and spelling.
Handwriting is specifically taught in every year group using the 'Daily Supporting Handwriting' scheme across the Trust schools and practised daily. The techniques taught are practised and reinforced throughout the school day when writing in all subjects, with high expectations modelled. Age related spellings are taught through the daily handwriting programme.
Vocabulary and the teaching of vocabulary is a vital component to the success of pupils across all National Curriculum subjects. Vocabulary relates to reading comprehension, but impacts equally on curriculum areas that require specific word knowledge such as mathematics and science. A range of interventions and strategies are used to develop vocabulary across the curriculum.
Word Aware is used as a strategy across the school to develop pupil vocabulary. Word Aware is a structured whole school approach to promote the vocabulary development of all children. Focused on whole class learning, the resource is of particular value for those who start at a disadvantage – including children with Developmental Language Disorder, Special Educational Needs and those who speak English as an additional language, but it will extend the word learning of all students. This approach is used throughout school, from introducing conceptual vocabulary with our youngest pupils in Nursery through to widening the range of complex language used by our oldest pupils in KS2.