Our Reading Curriculum
Reading is the "Gateway to Learning" and therefore all pupils need to be able to read well to access the full curriculum. The TWHF ENRich Reading curriculum puts developing the basic mechanics of reading at its core. Although word reading and language comprehension are integral to each other, the TWHF ENRich Reading Curriculum is engineered so that the development of both is taught discretely. By explicitly teaching the RICH knowledge and skills of both Word Reading and Language Comprehension, pupils can fully read and understand text at the level required for their age. This will then enable them to cultivate and NOURISH a love of reading and EMBED their reading skills, unlocking learning across the wider curriculum.
To develop RICH knowledge and skills, pupils will be exposed to daily explicit word reading teaching. It is important to ensure a balance of word reading and language comprehension development across the week. In EYFS and Year 1, pupils' word reading development is embedded within the SSP programme. Simultaneously, pupils in EYFS and Year 1 will also have the opportunity to high-quality book talk.
As pupils become phonologically aware, the focus of the teaching of word reading will shift towards developing fluency. When pupils move through the school, daily whole class lessons will ensure pupils' reading accuracy; automaticity (speed) and prosody keeps pace with the level of text required for their age.
To support pupils who fall behind, additional "accelerated" catch up interventions will be put in place. To further develop RICH knowledge and skills, pupils will also be exposed to daily language comprehension teaching. As pupils move away from the SSP programme (in Year 2 and KS2), daily whole class lessons will be delivered. Centred around high-quality extracts and texts (with aspirational vocabulary), pupils will be explicitly taught language comprehension skills and strategies, enabling them to first understand and then explore the level of text they are required to read for their age.
Reading:
Reading is one of the most important skills a child can develop, underpinning their learning, wellbeing and future success. As the gateway to the entire curriculum, reading enables children to access knowledge, explore new ideas and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them. Here are some key reasons why reading matters:
📚 1. Develops Language and Vocabulary
Children who read regularly are exposed to a wider range of words and sentence structures. This helps them become more confident speakers, writers and communicators.
🧠 2. Improves Brain Development
Reading stimulates imagination, memory, concentration and critical thinking. It helps children make connections, solve problems and understand the world around them.
✍️ 3. Supports Academic Achievement
Strong reading skills are the foundation for learning across the curriculum. Children who can read well are better able to access learning in subjects such as science, history and mathematics.
❤️ 4. Builds Empathy and Understanding
Books allow children to experience different perspectives, cultures and emotions. This helps them develop empathy, kindness and a greater understanding of others.
🌟 5. Boosts Confidence and Independence
As children become more fluent readers, they gain confidence in their own abilities. Being able to read independently opens up opportunities for learning and enjoyment.
🎨 6. Encourages Creativity and Imagination
Stories transport children to new worlds, introducing exciting characters, places and ideas. This nurtures creativity and imaginative thinking.
😌 7. Supports Wellbeing
Reading can be a calming and enjoyable activity. Sharing books with family members also helps strengthen relationships and creates positive memories.
🎯 8. Prepares Children for the Future
Reading skills are essential for everyday life, further education and future employment. Strong readers are better equipped to access information, learn new skills and succeed in a rapidly changing world.
Tips for reading at home:
- To help develop fluency, listen to your child read frequently. This can mean they re-read the same section of text to build confidence, or read alongside you if they need more support.
- Read aloud to your child so they are exposed to a range of genres and have good reading role-models.
- Talk about books – ask lots of questions about the book your child is reading.
For example:
- Can you summarise the most important events so far?
- What do you think will happen….?
- Who is your favourite character? Why?
- How do you think ….. is feeling in this part of the story? How do you know?
- Are there any new words you would like to talk about?
- Does this remind you of any other stories/books we have read?
Book Vending Machine
At Zouch Academy, we are incredibly fortunate to have our very own book vending machine! Every time a child reads 100 times at home, they earn a visit to the machine where they can choose a brand-new book to take home and enjoy.
The TWHF ENRich Writing curriculum is at the heart of our whole curriculum. The writing curriculum is designed so that the teaching and learning of new writing knowledge and skills is progressive and complements the ongoing literacy fluency development.
In each year group, through every unit, teachers will explicitly teach new knowledge and skills, centred around a specific genre and purpose for writing. New knowledge and skills will be introduced, taught, practised and refined through a "5 phase" process. Initially, children are immersed in the unit genre and writing purpose through a powerful stimulus which they will explore through a range of oracy activities. From here, pupils are expertly taught how to apply the new skills and are given opportunities to develop this through well- planned deliberate practice activities. Pupils will then apply these skills to a focused writing task where they can draft, edit and revise.
Finally, pupils are given various means to present and publish their final piece of writing to celebrate with their chosen audience. Simultaneously, pupils will be given regular opportunities to refine and develop their vocabulary, communication skills, spelling accuracy and handwriting style.