English: Phonics and Reading

At Coaley, we explicitly teach reading comprehension strategies as a whole class through VIPERS in Year 2 through to Year 6, for at least 30 minutes each day. We have carefully selected novels, which are age-appropriate, challenging, and rich in vocabulary. We understand that the teaching of reading comprehension strategies is about describing the actions that may help a reader to construct meaning, develop understanding and remember information from a text. We also recognise that reading fluently supports reading comprehension. When pupils read fluently, their cognitive load can be redirected from focusing on decoding and onto comprehending the text. To support this we have developed a clear weekly reading programme and lesson design, which promotes the modelling of metacognitive process to children to show them how to monitor their comprehension and overcome barriers to understanding. We cultivate a love of reading in our pupils through daily opportunities to engage with a book. During the school day, pupils may read a book of their choice and listen to the teacher read a whole class text in addition to their guided reading book.