Reading
At Boston Pioneers Academy, we prioritise fostering a love of reading, enabling learners to become fluent, independent, and reflective readers. Reading fluency opens access to the full curriculum, boosts self-confidence, and nurtures cultural, emotional, and intellectual growth. Through careful text choices, we equip students with the skills and confidence to comprehend material, acquire knowledge, and embrace lifelong learning and success.
Reading Implementation
Reception
In Reception, reading is taught through literacy-focused activities, the Read Write Inc. phonics programme, and frequent storytime. Children engage with a core collection of quality fiction, poetry, and non-fiction, supporting their English work. Pre-reading skills, such as speaking and listening, are developed through shared reading, book talk, role-play, and continuous provision. Weekly Helicopter Stories sessions encourage storytelling, as children narrate their own stories, which are scribed by adults and role-played with peers. This consistent approach lays the foundation for a lifelong love of reading and storytelling.
Guided Reading
Each day, learners from Years 1 to 6 participate in a 30-minute, whole-class guided reading session. The focus of these sessions are to build learners’ comprehension skills.
Through our guided reading sessions, learners will be exposed to a range of activities that will develop their:
– Core Vocabulary
– Inference Skills
– Prediction Skills
– Explanatory Skills
– Retrieval Skills
– Sequencing / summarising skills
Our guided reading curriculum uses a core selection of high-quality, progressive texts. Before reading, learners explore predictions, core vocabulary, and relevant historical or cultural context to build a ‘mental model’ of the text, a process we call ‘filling the knowledge gap.’
During sessions, texts are read aloud to model expressive reading, with learners reading independently, with partners, or in unison. Teachers pause to clarify meaning, summarise, or discuss predictions, ensuring deeper understanding. Learners then apply their knowledge through activities like comprehension questions.
Reading for Pleasure
Reading for pleasure opens new worlds, fostering imagination, empathy, and well-being. It helps learners explore their identity while gaining insights into diverse perspectives and cultures.
We support this through:
- High-quality, diverse books.
- Quality texts linked to learning themes and a prominently displayed reading spine.
- Events like World Book Day and book voucher competitions.
- Modelling a love of reading through whole-class story time.
These initiatives aim to nurture a lifelong love of reading and inclusivity.
