Reading
At Bardney Church of England and Methodist Primary School, we love reading and believe that reading 'opens the door' to learning, imagination and life in all its fullness (John 10:10). Rooted in our Christian values, we nurture fluent readers who are curious, confident and compassionate - children who not only 'read to learn' but explore meaning, connect with others and grow as individuals.
Our Aims
- Foster a love of books and stories so that reading becomes a joy and habit for life.
- Develop fluent, confident readers who understand and enjoy what they read, enabling them to access the full curriculum.
- Build children's vocabulary, inference and comprehension skills, ensuring that reading becomes a key tool for learning in all subjects.
- Offer a rich, inclusive reading curriculum that includes classic texts, poetry, modern fiction, non-fiction texts and diverse voices.
- Support children to become independent and reflective readers, who can talk about their reading and make choices for themselves.
How We Teach Reading
Our approach includes:
- Systematic Synthetic Phonics: From Reception onwards children follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme, enabling secure decoding skills and fluent reading. For further information and resources to support phonics, please visit the 'Phonics and Early Reading' page.
• Whole‑class guided reading sessions: Teachers model expressive reading, ask probing questions, and scaffold comprehension so that children make sense of the text and deepen their understanding.
• Story‑time for pleasure: Every class enjoys time to be read to, exposing children to engaging and challenging texts, extending their vocabulary and stoking their passion for reading.
• Reading for independent growth: Children regularly choose books from our class libraries and school library. Older children are encouraged to read to younger peers, modelling good habits and building community.
Supporting Reading at Home
- Listen to your child read regularly and ask questions like: “What might happen next?”, “Why did that character act like that?”, “How would you feel in their place?”
- Read with your child — even older children benefit from being read to, especially for enjoyment and discussion.
- Visit the library together, exploring different genres and authors, and talking about favourite parts of books.
- Celebrate your child’s reading milestones: “I’m proud you finished that book!”, “You used such a great vocabulary!”, “You spotted that twist!”