Intent: Our reading intent at Iqra is to ensure that by the end of Year 6 all children are confident, fluent readers and have a positive attitude towards reading for pleasure. Through developing this ethos, we hope that children can confidently talk about their reading journey and can express their favourite authors and genres with reasons. During their time at Iqra, they are exposed to a wide variety of genres through different medias. Through this exposure, they will develop a good understanding of the vocabulary that they read, and can infer meaning from what they have read.
Implementation: Reading for pleasure is developed throughout school by children having access to our library, which has recently been renovated and stocked with high quality texts which engage the children. Our children are exposed to high quality texts within their classroom reading areas and during lessons using the CLPE Power of Reading approach as well as the use of Ninja Comprehension. At Iqra, we ensure reading is taught consistently across the curriculum through a wide variety of text types and rich reading opportunities.
Early reading begins in EYFS where staff promote a love for reading through regular story sessions alongside the use of Read, Write, Inc. to develop children’s phonics skills. Through RWI phonics, children learn a simple alphabetic code followed by more complex code. This continues into Key Stage 1, where children build fluency and develop both oral and written comprehension skills. All reading books progress cumulatively and are closely matched to the sounds children are learning and already know.
As children progress into Key Stage 2, reading is taught as part of the English curriculum and is driven by core texts as well as the use of Ninja Comprehension. Pupils regularly apply their understanding of text types and comprehension skills through whole-class reading, discussion and written responses.
Impact: As a result of our reading curriculum, pupils at Iqra develop into confident, fluent and enthusiastic readers who can talk positively about books, authors and genres they enjoy. Children demonstrate increasing independence in applying reading strategies such as summarising, questioning, clarifying and predicting across the curriculum. Through exposure to high-quality and diverse texts, pupils develop a rich vocabulary and are able to infer meaning and discuss texts with confidence.
Early reading outcomes are strengthened through the consistent teaching of phonics using Read, Write, Inc., ensuring that children make strong progress from their starting points. Pupils read books that are closely matched to their phonics knowledge, enabling them to build fluency and comprehension successfully. As children move through Key Stage 2, they become more reflective and analytical readers who can justify their opinions using evidence from texts.
The promotion of reading for pleasure across the school has fostered positive attitudes towards reading, with pupils regularly engaging with books both independently and collaboratively. By the end of Year 6, the majority of pupils are well-prepared for the next stage of their education as confident, capable and resilient readers.