An Overview of READING at Ashford Oaks

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To complement our two reading programmes RWi (Reception and Year One) and Destination Reader (Years Two to Six), at Ashford Oaks we immerse our children in a reading environment.  Below is a small insight of how we engage the children in reading at Ashford Oaks.

 

All children have full access to their class book corner, which are full of rich age related texts (and lots of picture books for our younger children).  The books are organised into genres eg comedy, thrillers, etc and the older children have class librarians.

 

Children have access to a wonderful tree house library.

 

Every child (Y1-6) takes part in a daily Hooked On Books session, starting in Year One where there are lots of phonics activities as well a large selection of picture books.  As the children progress through the school and their independent reading skills improve, they read silently for a minimum of 15 minutes a day.

 

All children are listened to by an adult in school read their home reading book at least once a week.

 

We encourage children to read every day at home and celebrate those children that read at least five days a week.

 

At least twice a day children will listen to the Class Reading Book of the day or week. Some classes get to choose what book that will be the following week.

 

Reception children have a book focussed literacy lesson each day.  They also, during Child Initiated learning, access a well-resourced reading area.

 

Twice a year we take the children to Ashford Library and we encourage all children to have their own library card so that parents can take their children throughout the year.

 

Every other term we hold a Book n Biscuits, where parents are invited in to share a story with their child in the comfort of our classrooms.

 

Towards the end of term we celebrate reading by having open classrooms so that children can visit a different class to hear a story from a wide selection on offer.

 

We are building up a bank of adults who regularly come to our school just so they can listen to our children reading, especially those children that don’t get the opportunity to read with a parent at home.

 

At the end of each full term we hold a Holiday Reading Challenge, encouraging our children to read in unusual places or in a fun  way.  This is celebrated in our Friday assemblies.

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The children get to visit the Book Bus once a year and we also have a Book Fair during National Book Week. We also encourage the children to dress up as a character from their favourite story.​