At Bracken Hill, we want to foster a love of reading and stories, while ensuring our pupils gain this invaluable skill that they will need throughout each day of their lives. 

In the classroom 

 We encourage our pupils to read by letting them see us reading and providing opportunities to share books with them as a whole class, in small groups and 1:1.  We share stories in many different ways including using props and multi-sensory techniques as well as support from technology such as projectors and videos to reach all of our learners.  We look for opportunities to use stories and books across the curriculum to maximise the time that children and young people read outside of lessons. Additional reading takes place during registration times and end of the day during whole class stories. We also look for opportunities to read in the modern world, using technology and other real-life situations such as reading a cafe menu to make it relevant to them and their lives. 

Phonics 

In the classes where it is appropriate, the Twinkl phonics scheme is taught. Pupils are split into a range of groupings to ensure that they are taught at their appropriate levels. Each week we have focus sounds which we learn through the stages of reading, spelling and finally application in writing. Each lesson begins with revisiting learned sounds and words and often includes common exception (tricky) words. The Twinkl phonics lessons are designed to help children learn to read, write and spell by teaching them the relationship between letter (graphemes) and sounds (phonemes). In the early stages of learning phonics, the children develop their listening, speaking and phonological awareness skills that are needed before formal phonics begins.  These foundations prepare children for level 2, where they begin learning letter sounds and how letters represent sounds in reading and writing. 

For pupils who are not yet ready to access formal phonics, we use our Core Word programme to develop the communication, listening and early literacy skills that underpin later reading and writing. Core Word is a pre-phonics approach, supporting pupils to develop an understanding of language, vocabulary and communication before they begin to make formal links between letters and sounds.

Pupils are introduced to a small number of highly functional core words through meaningful, motivating and sensory experiences. Words are taught through a combination of spoken language, symbols, signing and other appropriate communication methods, ensuring that pupils can understand and use vocabulary within their everyday experiences. Alongside Core Word, pupils develop their phonological and environmental sound awareness. They are encouraged to listen, attend and respond to sounds in their environment, including everyday noises, animal sounds, instruments, body sounds and familiar voices. These experiences help pupils to develop the listening and attention skills needed for later phonics learning.

The programme is carefully matched to each pupil's stage of development and communication. As pupils develop a secure understanding of language, vocabulary and communication, and demonstrate readiness for more formal sound-based learning, they can progress from pre-phonics into the appropriate stage of the school's phonics programme.

Our aim is to ensure that every pupil develops the foundations for literacy at a pace that is appropriate for them, building from communication and meaningful language, to listening and sound awareness, and then towards formal phonics, reading and writing.

Reading strategies and interventions  

We have introduced the Whole Word Reading approach as a targeted intervention to support pupils who are experiencing difficulties with reading. Trained staff members deliver daily 1:1 Switch On interventions to accelerate the learning of pupils that have been identified as needing extra support. Additionally, as a school, we use Communicate and Print software as a way to support reading of words through the use of symbols where necessary.  

Reading for Everyone 

 A wide range of quality texts are available, including those targeted at beginner, catch-up and reluctant readers, plus age-appropriate texts for older pupils with lower reading skills. We use a colour banding system to ensure each child has the opportunity to access a range of books at their level. For pupils at a pre-reading level, we create our own symbolised books with pictures to develop their attention and engagement in reading. We ensure that different reading formats are available which include fact, fiction, comic books, magazines, newspapers, and picture books for early readers. 

We are happy to provide parents/carers with an appropriate book for their child and ways to encourage good reading habits at home. 

Reading Events 

 Each half term, each child has access to the mobile library service where they choose their own book that they keep in their classroom to access at appropriate times. Through this service, children are able to suggest the themes of book that interest them for the following visit. 

We have a calendar of reading events, including World Book Day and National Poetry Day to celebrate and enjoy reading. 

At Bracken Hill we believe that reading should not be limited to the the four walls of the classroom. To celebrate this we set a challenge across the school to both children and staff to find the most extreme places to read!

This section is inspired by 'Cbeebies Bedtime Stories'.

As a way to show our love of books, staff have selected a book to read and share with our children. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed reading.

Follow the link below to find our selection of stories.

We take great pride in the high quality displays that can be seen when walking through the school. These celebrate and support reading at levels which are appropriate across each phase and strand within our school.

Technology is a fabulous to support and enhance reading. Below are some examples of how our children have used different forms of technology as a platform for the reading skills.