So, World Book Day came and went, but as a school we keep on with the joy and love of reading. From the Year 5 and 6 book club meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays, to the regular book reviews in the newsletter, the development of our reading spine and being read fabulous stories by our teachers every day, the magic ju
st keeps on coming!
Wow! World Book Day 2024 came and went in a flash! We had a great time, as we always do, exploring the world of characters, imaginations and adventures which are contained between the pages of a book. It’s such a wonderful thing to pick up some paper, read the black squiggly lines and then have the rush of excitement as a new story floods into our brains. Magic!
What did we do? We dressed up, we decorated bookmarks, older children read with younger children, we designed our own book jackets, we had quizzes, we had visiting authors (
massive thank you to Sophie and Emily) and all manner of other things. Here are just a few photos to commemorate the day. In the meantime…keep reading!
As part of our rich experience, we believe that being read to EVERY day by a teacher who chooses quality texts and reads with enthusiasm and enjoyment, is a vital part of school life. This is the latest snapshot. The diet is very rich in terms of narrative and story telling this time round, along with some poetry and gorgeous, inspiring picture books.
As part of their role as reading ambassadors for the school, we are going to post regular book reviews, written by the children in our school, for the children in our school. Here is the first of, what I hope to be, many!
Christ Church Reading Spine wish list letter
In order to make our Reading spine a reality please take a look at this in order to help.
In our book club, we have been loving The Christmas Dinner Of Souls by Ross Montgomery. It has a story within a story structure that is as elaborate as a ginger bread house. Its gruesome and tongue in cheek tales can scare your socks off and leave you guessing right until the very last reveal. It’s a must-read if ever there was one. Look at our food inspired by the story. We tucked in and had a re-read of The beast – brilliant!
This is a snapshot of what the class teachers are reading to their children in class. We value reading for pleasure so highly and LOVE the chance to share exciting, diverse and quality stories with our kids.
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These are the books that the class teachers have been sharing with their classes this term. As you can see, there is a lovely mix of classic, historical and funky contemporary fiction plus a healthy smattering of picture books and all round fun. I can’t wait to see the offerings for next term!
Thank you so much to all those who came along to the book fair that ran from the 3rd -10th October. It was lovely to see such a buzz about books and reading. All of your lovely purchases has also helped the school to but even more fab new books for ourselves. Yay!!
Thanks FOCCS, for our lovely new Reading Shed. The children have loved the chance to sit on lovely comfy blankets and cushions (rather than cold, hard steps) in order to enjoy their reading books at break and lunch! Thank you…we love it!
Our children have recently been invited to enjoy a book club – Losing the plot! – at school. The club is led by Mr Douglass and, every Thursday after school, they enjoy a lively and often impassioned talk about the books that they have read. The first text was the seminal Holes by Louis Sachar. Other planned reads include: Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell and Skellig by David Almond. It’s proved to be a smash and something that we will run and and run with. Goodness, I love books…
With that in mind, the teachers are also at it, as once a term, they get together to discuss their own favourite reads and to recommend the books that they love to read to children, to each other. This is a great way for the staff to keep abreast with the releases in what is, to be frank, a golden age in children’s literature.
Reading at Christ Church
How reading links to our school vision.
“That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.”
Together, we aim to provide the valuable and life- affirming gift of reading to every child. We feel that all children deserve the right to be fluent readers and are given the platform, in a supportive and enriching environment, to explore and appreciate the world of books.
Learn
We realise that children will have better opportunities in life, and have a greater wealth of experience if they are taught to read fluently, with clarity and confidence, as early as possible.
Through a structured approach to the teaching of phonics in order to decode, children will quickly adopt strategies to increase their speed and accuracy and build a solid linguistic knowledge of vocabulary and grammar.
We recognise the importance of parents and carers in supporting their children on this vital journey as we seek to work in partnership, empowering all parties to understand and enhance the skills being taught in school. This is achieved through the reading and sharing of high quality texts, chosen by teachers who are motivated and inspired by the power of the written word.
Grow
During their time at Christ Church school our children develop a love of reading through access to a wide, rich and varied canon of texts which represent the diversity and difference of our world. Our passion for the magic that stories can bring will open up a treasure house of wonder and joy, a treasure house into which no child should be denied access.
Through exciting and memorable experiences we give the children the chance to flourish.
Reading is a lifelong journey that Christ Church wholly embraces. We recognise the fact that reading is something to celebrate. So, through things like author visits, regular trips to the library, year group reading mix ups, whole-school- reading challenges and fund raising projects, we instil the notion that reading is an active and collaborative past-time that is shared and enjoyed with others.
Through reading, children will learn how to empathise with others as they inhabit, through imaginative thought and creative thinking, the manifold worlds that can be entered and explored through the simple and powerful act of turning the pages of a book.
Intent (Learn).
At Christ Church we believe that reading is the best gift that you could give your child and we recognise that reading is an essential part of all areas of learning. Pupils read in daily guided reading session and when possible individually to teachers, TA’s and volunteers. Reading lies at the heart of the curriculum at Christ Church. We are dedicated to enabling our pupils to become lifelong readers and we believe reading is the key to academic success.
The study of literacy develops pupils’ abilities to listen, speak, read and write for a wide range of purposes. Pupils learn to use language to communicate their ideas, views and feelings. It enables pupils to express themselves creatively and imaginatively, as they become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama, as well as non-fiction and media texts. Pupils gain an understanding of how language works by looking at its patterns, structures and origins. Pupils use their knowledge, skills and understanding in speaking and writing across a range of different situations.
At Christ Church we passionately believe that all pupils possess the potential to become readers and writers. It is up to us as practitioners to nurture and unlock that potential.
Implementation (Grow).
As a school we:
• Adopt a whole-school approach to the teaching and learning of reading
• Ensure that enabling pupils to master the ‘basic skills’ in reading is the absolute priority of all staff.
• Teach all pupils to read at or above age-appropriate standards.
• Rigorously track pupil progress in reading through a variety of formative and summative assessment methods to ensure all
pupils make accelerated progress in literacy. ‘ We use Insight Tracking to store tracking data. We use NFER reading tests periodically to track progress.
• Ensure that pupils have access to the quality-first teaching of phonics and reading.
• Ensure that all pupils can see a purpose in reading and are inspired to continue to learn beyond the school setting and throughout life.
• Ensure that pupils have sound phonic knowledge to enable reading and writing.
• Pupils have daily guided reading lessons where they are exposed to a range of different texts and can demonstrate and understanding of these.
• All pupils chose a reading book to take home and this is changed frequently.
• Children are read to each day by the class teacher.
• Acknowledge parents and carers role as the primary educators of their pupils by involving them in every stage of their child’s learning in literacy.
• Intervene immediately if a child is identified as failing to make expected progress in literacy.
• Provide inspiring environments of the highest quality, which promote creativity, independent learning and fire the imagination.
Reading skills are considered a priority, thus enabling pupils to read fluently and with understanding, to read for information and to use with confidence a wide range of printed material. We have a range of attractive books and a variety of reading scheme books, which we add to and update regularly. Pupils are encouraged to believe in themselves as ‘readers’ and to enjoy all books; by reading and being read to at home and in school. We want children to have a love of reading for pleasure as well as being able to read for information. Good reading skills empower the learner and are essential for accessing all other curriculum areas.
At Christ Church all teachers read aloud to their class on a daily basis and regularly discuss theirs and the children’s responses to their reading. We actively encourage the children to read for pleasure through;
· picture books sharing at Reception
· author and storyteller visits;
· author studies as part of the English curriculum;
· the promotion of the summer library reading challenge.
Impact (Flourish).
By the time pupils leave Christ Church, they are competent readers who can recommend books to their peers, have a thirst for reading a range of genres and be able to participate in discussions about books, including evaluating an author’s use of language and the impact this can have on the reader. They can also read books to enhance their knowledge and understanding of all subjects on the curriculum, and communicate their research to a wider audience.
“I like ‘Kay’s Marvellous Medicine by Adam Kay because it’s very funny and informative, and he has a really casual, informal, random style.” (year 4)
“I am a massive fan of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, because it transports me into a whole new world.” (year5)
“I loved Toto The Ninja Cat And The great Snake Escape by Dermot O’Leary because the cat is hilarious and there is so much action. It’s amazing!” (year 3).
