In EYFS and year 1 children are given a phonetically decodable book to read both at home and in school which is linked to the phonic lessons that have been taught. After this, reading books are colour coded and children progress through the colours when they are considered ready. Children also take home additional books to share with their families to encourage the enjoyment of a range of different types of books, and the development of their vocabularies. At the end of Year One each child’s phonic knowledge is tested in a statutory phonics screening test. This is a short, light-touch assessment to confirm whether individual children have learnt phonic decoding to an appropriate standard. It will identify the children who may need extra support in future years so they can improve their reading skills.
We are very proud of the reading culture at our school and children have access to a wide variety of books, both in the classroom and in our wonderful library.