Reading

High Close School puts a strong emphasis on reading for all our young people. We believe that it is the gateway to learning and part of the essential skills package needed for preperation for adult life.

PHONICS

Phonics is usually taught during Key Stage 1 and move on to guided reading and other learning and practice strategies from Key Stage 2 onwards, we are aware that some of our young people still need some specialist help as they did not fully grasp the skills in the early years of learning. The understanding of the alphabetic code, and that the letters on the page represent the sounds in spoken words, is the basis of successful word reading.

When needed, young people are taught how to decode words through systematic synthetic phonics - we use the DfE approved twinkl phonics program as it supports both initial teaching and has intervention resources and guides for older students who are still learning the skills.

A Habit of Reading

Our long term aim is to foster a true love of reading and emphasis how it can be used to educate and entertain us, however, it is vitally important that all our young people are given opportunities to engage with books and embed a habit of reading to improve basic skills. We do this in a variety of ways:

  • Opportunities to read are part of the every subject area and embedded in lesson expectations, both independently and aloud to the group

  • Book libraries around site for students to borrow from - supported by English teachers. Libraries include short stories, chapter books and graphic novels with a variety of genres

  • Individual reading opportunities in tutor times including short read articles

  • Accelerated Reader used as a way to track engagement and understanding of items read

  • Stories read aloud to the young people by staff and other peers

  • Parent/Carers given advice and reminders to encourage reading outside school too

Reading Inteventions

We use a range of methods to help our young people to read and most of these take place within the planned curriculum with the staff in lessons. However, when necessary, young people may be referred to the learning support department for specific 1:1 interventions. These short, regular slots give the young people time to practise and consolidate their growing knowledge, they can then take their new confidence in their abilities back to their lessons which supports learning across the curriculum

STAFF TRAINING

Teachers and Learning Support Assistants who teach primary aged students, teach English or are part of the intevention programmes have received targeted training in twinkl phonics. All education staff have been given training by our lead teachers in how to support reading in the classroom so that we can deliver our very best offer. We strive to have experts delivering reading and phonics in the classroom and continue to offer development opportunities for our staff team.