Reading at Little Digmoor
At Little Digmoor we have high expectations of children’s reading. We understand that reading is fundamental to children’s academic success and are therefore passionate about raising the standards of reading. We are dedicated to ensuring that all children develop a love of reading and enjoy reading for pleasure.
We teach early reading via the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised scheme (read more here) and have adopted a whole-class reading approach in Key Stage 2 (KS2), based on The Reading Framework, July 2023.
Whole Class Reading
Whole class reading lessons feature a combination of the teacher reading aloud and pupils reading, both interspersed with discussion and teacher’s explanations and modelling. Teachers combine these elements, both when planning reading lessons and ‘in the moment’ as they respond to pupils’ needs. Our personalised reading sessions consist of 4 elements; the teacher reading aloud, pupils reading, the teacher’s modelling and explanations and questioning. Please see our reading policy below to find out more about this approach.
The SHINE Project
Throughout whole class reading lessons, teachers also weave strategies from the SHINE Project into their lessons. At Little Digmoor, we are fortunate to be one of only a small number of selected schools in the North West region to be involved in the Shine Project. The SHINE project is designed and proven to improve children's understanding of what they read and to empower their love for reading even further. It consists of teacher's incorporating the use of 5 reading strands not only into reading lessons but in subjects across the curriculum. The 5 reading strands are timelines, hashtags, emojis, most important elements and scaffolding. You can read more about the SHINE project and the 5 strands in our reading policy, below.
Class Novel
At Little Digmoor, all children are read to 4 x a week by their class teacher. This is a timetabled slot and happens consistently throughout school at 3pm. During this time, children are exposed to a wide-range of high quality texts based on Pie Corbett’s recommended reading spine. Throughout the year, teachers add their own classic and contemporary choices based on the knowledge of their own class.