Reading

"Reading is important because when you read a book, you gain knowledge and information about the past, future and the world today." -  Adam 5H

"Reading regularly improves your life chances as reading is used in many jobs, therefore it is such a useful skill!" - Angelmary 5O

A HUGE congratulations to Jessica in 5H who has achieved a whopping 2,000,000 words this term on Accelerated Reader! Jessica is the first child at St Mary’s to ever achieve this prestigious award!

Congratulations to Johan in 6O, Janetta in 5V and Akshita and Sabrina in 5H who have all achieved 1,000,000 words on Accelerated Reader this term! What a fantastic achievement!

Wow! What a fabulous time we have all had at our Easter pantomime! Thank you to M&M Theatrical Productions for bringing Scrooge to St Mary's!

*** Book in a Box Competition ***

Over half term, our children were given a challenge in readiness for World Book Day. Their challenge was to re-create a scene from their favourite book, in a box. We were absolutely blown away by the entries that we received. Thank you so much to all of our families who participated in this challenge and helped your child in creating their masterpieces! Today, the bronze, silver and gold winners were announced in assembly. It was a very tough decision as all of the entries were of an extremely high standard. Take a look at some of our story boxes... can you identify the book?

Our 'Booktime Bears' are a big hit in Nursery. Children take it in turns to take a bag home at the weekend. The bag contains a bear, a storybook and a sachet of hot chocolate. Who doesn't love a snuggle and a story?!

Here are some of our children who completed the Summer Reading Challenge through Newcastle library. A massive well done for their commitment and dedication to reading!

Congratulations to Dara in 5H for becoming a Word Millionaire! She has persevered and read 1,000,000 words! What an outstanding achievement, which shows her dedication to reading and her homework!

Well done to all of these children, ranging from Reception to Year 6, who have completed the spring reading challenge. They have shown commitment to reading and explored 25 different ways in which to enjoy a book! 

Congratulations to Nina in 5H who is the first child at St Mary’s to read 1,000,000 words this year! What an amazing achievement - it really showcases her dedication and love of reading!

Reading is taught whole class from Year 1 to 6. These reading sessions follow a structured approach and is taught four times a week in Y1 and three times a week from Y2-6.

Our reading provision ensures that the teaching of reading skills is frequent, sequenced and progressive. We teach the key reading skills through VIPERS, which links in with the content domains as set out in the National Curriculum.

The Accelerated Reading scheme is used in KS2, with books housed in our library to enable children to choose their own reading books (that are of an appropriate level/challenge). This scheme can be accessed by children in KS1 once they are secure in reading books within ‘Lime’ band.

Home reading books for children in EYFS and KS1 are carefully selected and are informed by PM benchmark assessments, which are carried out by trained staff - at least - half termly. The books are closely matched to each child’s phonetic knowledge and ability, encompassing both fluency and comprehension. In addition to this phonetically decodable book, pupils are encouraged to select another book, which is of interest to them, to encourage reading for pleasure.

Teachers assess reading regularly using formative assessments, hearing children read and through ongoing monitoring of Accelerated Reader. Summative assessments are carried out each term using NFER tests. These tests provide children with a scaled score, which is used to benchmark pupils and to track attainment and progress.

At St. Mary’s, we celebrate whole school events to promote reading and encourage reading for pleasure.