Millfield Primary School - English - Reading 

Our vision for teaching reading at our school

Reading is the most important skill that we must teach our pupils to ensure that they become fluent readers as quickly as possible.

We want every pupil at this school to be a confident, fluent reader who not only reads to learn but also reads for pleasure.

Fluent readers will learn more, because they can read and gain knowledge for themselves.

In order to achieve this aim of every pupil being a strong confident fluent reader we use a range of approaches including:

• teachers reading a class book regularly, which allows all children to listen and respond to texts beyond their own reading age and to expose our learners to the vast array of book types, authors and genres that will tempt them to become lifelong readers; 
• guided reading where the teacher explicitly explores texts with a group of learners each day an where our learners read and respond to the text;
• whole class shared reading as part of English learning which aims to engage learners in to a specific text or genre which is enhanced through text marking/exploration as well as incidental writing and linked writing to the text;
• planned and incidental reading throughout the day such as: curriculum project research, including ipads/internet and books, independent reading, paired reading, buddy reading; 
• daily reinforcement of phonics across EYFS to Year 2 

To find out more about the teaching reading at our school please click here to access our reading policy.

Millfield Primary School - The teaching of Early Reading

Our vision for the teaching of phonics / early reading at our school

We want all children at our school become confident and fluent readers as quickly as possible. To achieve this we use  a rigorous and systematic approach to phonics. This ensures learners are prepared for other curriculum experiences and opportunities as they progress through the school.

Since September 2016 we have been using the Read, Write Inc literacy programme to help teach our EYFS and KS1 pupils to read as well as an intervention to support pupils in other year groups who require extra support.

Read Write Inc. Phonics is a complete literacy programme written by Ruth Miskin, for 4 to 7 year-olds learning to read and write and for 7 and 8 year-olds needing to catch up quickly.

It involves interactive phonics lessons, handwriting, grammar and extended writing activities using highly stimulating storybooks, phonics cards, rhymes and actions.

Lessons are well paced, highly structured and follow a consistent approach across all groups.  Teachers and Teaching Assistants are trained to a high standard by qualified Read, Write Inc trainers, who continue to provide support to the school in the form of development days during the year.  Teachers and Teaching assistants who are delivering the Read, Write Inc. programme will have responsibility for the progress of the children in their group.

For more information regarding the teaching of phonics at our school please contact our Early Reading lead teacher - Mrs B Griffin.

Millfield Primary School - English - The Millfield Write

'Big Writing' is an innovative approach to the teaching of the skills of writing devised by leading educationalist Ros Wilson. The school has adapted elements of this approach to meet the needs of our pupils.

Every Friday our pupils across KS1 and KS2 complete the 'Millfield Write' where after a period of planning and direct teaching (as well as completing learning in preparation across the week) they are given an opportunity to write for a sustained period.  It is designed to motivate children and make them want to write through a very structured approach.

We have found this approach highly effective for pupils across the school and it has a direct impact on raising the writing standard of all pupils.

For further information regarding the Millfield Write please contact our English subject leader  - Mrs K Smith