Reading Strategy
Longcause Community Special School
Reading Strategy
To be read in conjunction with the Longcause English Intent
At Longcause School, our intent is to foster a love of reading from the very beginning of a child's educational journey. We aim to provide every pupil with rich and meaningful opportunities to develop early reading skills across a range of contexts. Through our carefully structured approach, we ensure that all pupils can make sense of the world around them, gaining meaning from their environment, text, symbols, and words. We believe that early reading is not just about decoding text but also about nurturing curiosity, communication, and a deeper understanding of language. Our inclusive and engaging approach is designed to empower every child to become a confident and independent reader, regardless of their individual needs.
At Longcause we want our pupils to develop functional reading in order to be as independent as possible in life after Longcause. Through the teaching of Read, Write, Inc., we ensure the daily development of children’s comprehension and wider literacy skills. Pupils are encouraged to take meaning from each text, becoming independent and critical thinkers. Comprehension activities are designed to help children to infer, summarise, question, clarify, predict and argue a point of view. The children also make connections between texts and their own experiences and an enjoyment of and engagement with a variety of texts is encouraged.
Implementation
To implement early reading skills, we provide daily, targeted opportunities for pupils to develop their reading skills.
- Shared Reading: Each day, we engage pupils in shared reading sessions, providing exposure to a variety of texts and ensuring that all children are actively involved in reading activities, regardless of their starting point.
- Total Communication Environment: We provide a Total Communication Environment that incorporates speech, symbol and sign language approaches to support reading development. This ensures that pupils with diverse communication needs are able to engage meaningfully with texts and develop their understanding of language.
- Curiosity Programme:Through the Curiosity Programme, we provide pupils with opportunities to develop their communication, attention, and engagement skills through carefully structured sensory and interactive activities. This programme focuses on capturing children’s attention and encouraging them to explore and make connections with the world around them, using play and sensory exploration. By fostering a sense of wonder and curiosity, the programme supports pupils in developing the foundational skills necessary for reading, such as listening, focusing, and understanding cause and effect, all while promoting language development and a love of books.
- Early Sound Discrimination Activities: We incorporate targeted sound discrimination activities to help pupils develop essential listening and phonological awareness skills. These activities form a critical part of early reading development and support future phonics learning.
- Songs, Rhymes, and Makaton: We use songs, rhymes, and Makaton signing as tools to reinforce early language skills, supporting pupils' understanding of rhythm, rhyme, and sound patterns. These activities also promote communication and encourage social interaction.
- Independent Book Exploration: We encourage pupils to explore books independently, promoting self-directed learning and a sense of ownership over their reading journey. This fosters a love of books and curiosity about language.
- Mark Making and AAC: We support early writing and reading development through mark making and the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems. These tools help pupils communicate their ideas and engage with text in a way that meets their individual needs.
- Attention Autism: We use the Attention Autism approach to engage pupils in focused, interactive activities that develop their attention span and communication skills, laying the groundwork for successful reading experiences.
- Read Write Inc. Phonics: From the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), we introduce the foundational elements of the Read Write Inc. phonics programme, focusing on sound-letter correspondence and blending skills. This systematic approach supports pupils in becoming fluent and confident readers. Within the RWI Programmes, pupils develop a deep understanding of what they read; complete texts by leading authors are introduced using a three-step approach.
- Daily Storytime: All classes partake in storytime each day, to promote an enjoyment of reading and development of wider vocabulary. The books that are read to pupils are selected by the Reading Leader to ensure that they are matched to pupils’ understanding, and that there are opportunities for pupils to see themselves in the books, as well as learn about the lives of others.
- RWI Comprehension & RWI Literacy and Language: Once pupils have completed the Read, Write, Inc phonics programme, they then move on to the RWI Comprehension programme, followed by the RWI Literacy and Language programme. Within these programmes, pupils continue to develop their reading skills through partaking in whole class shared reading to give them the skills to comprehend every text.
- ARK Mastery Programme: Within the ARK Mastery programme, pupils learn to better understand the concepts of literature through improving grammar and syntax understanding.
Impact:
We ensure it is our whole school priority that every child at Longcause School receives the support they need to develop their reading abilities. The impact of pupils having developed reading skills includes:
Improved Confidence: Learning to read empowers our pupils to take pride in their abilities, boosting self-esteem and independence in both academic and social contexts.
Enhanced Communication Skills: Reading provides pupils with the foundational language skills necessary to express themselves clearly and understand others, facilitating better interactions with peers, teachers, and the wider community.
Increased Access to Learning: As our pupils develop reading skills, they gain greater access to the broader curriculum, allowing them to engage with a wide range of subjects, resources, and learning opportunities.
Developing a Lifelong Love of Learning: Reading opens doors to exploration and curiosity. Pupils who learn to read are more likely to continue learning independently, fostering a lifelong love of books, knowledge, and self-improvement.
Improved Social Integration: Reading skills enable our pupils to engage with written communication, such as signs, menus, and instructions, which helps them navigate the world more independently and confidently.
Better Emotional Well-being: Through stories, pupils can explore different perspectives and emotions, promoting empathy and understanding. This contributes to emotional development and social skills, helping pupils manage their feelings and relationships.
Empowerment for the Future: Reading equips our pupils with essential skills for adult life, including the ability to understand written information, access employment opportunities, and navigate digital and printed materials in daily life.