Reading 
"Reading can be the great equaliser, allowing all children access to the best of what has been thought and said." Rt Hon Nick Gibb.
Learning to read is one of the most important developments in a child's learning journey. At Downfied we begin supporting this journey with excellent phonics provision and a comprehensive approach to reading instruction.
Phonics, reading and spelling are inextricably linked and for this reason you will find some information duplicated on the literacy curriculum pages on this website.
Below you will see the Downfield Reading Cogs. This model underpins our understanding of the core skills in reading: it shows the interrelated elements of our reading provision and demonstrates an understanding of just what is needed to become a proficient and capable reader. As teachers, we use this graphic to support our planning and assessment procedures.
Teaching children to read involves much more than decoding and understanding the words on a page; at Downfield we are passionate about providing a reading curriculum that not only teaches children to read but encourages them to love literature and enjoy books.
Reading Policy
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| Reading Policy.docx | Download |
Reading for Pleasure
We understand the importance of reading as a life-long skill and one which affords children the opportunity to access not only the curriculum but the world around them. At Downfield we want our children to love reading and to love books. We take a whole school approach to valuing literature to celebrating a wide range of authors and poets. We share with children our own enjoyment of reading as a chosen activity and actively engage in promoting and recommending materials to each other.
As a school we use the following strategies to create a positive mindset and attitude towards reading:
• adults reading aloud regularly, including in class or form time
• informal book talk, including recommendations from peers and adults
• encouraging library use, including the local public library
• providing time to read
• sociable reading environments, reading together and sharing books
Classrooms are stocked with a wide range of reading materials from which the children can choose. Teachers work collaboratively to develop collections to support the more and less able pupils in their classes. Materials are organised and displayed attractively in order to encourage children to want to explore and engage with what's on offer.
Reading Scheme
We updated our reading materials in 2020. The majority of the scheme books children take home are from the Big Cat Collins range. These are occasionally supplemented by resources from the Oxford Reading Tree range. Further information regarding these materials can be found below.
A video about our new reading scheme can be found below:
A transcript of the video and further information can be found below:
