Reading

At Beacon View Primary Academy, we strongly believe in the importance of building a love of reading from an early age. The teaching of reading starts as soon as the children join us in Pre-School or Reception through the sharing of exciting texts and exploration of sounds. The children have daily lessons where they are taught how to read and understand a wide range of genres and texts. All pupils are given daily opportunities to read for pleasure by selecting a book of their choice and sharing it with a friend. The children are also given plenty of opportunities to apply their reading skills in all subjects across the curriculum. 

By the time the children leave us in Year 6, we aim for all children to not only be confident and able readers, but to also have developed a love of reading that will last a life time! 

Phonics 

Phonics is the systematic, synthetic approach to learning to decode words through segmenting and blending. At Beacon View, we use Read, Write Inc. For more information about phonics please visit our phonics page.

Our reading curriculum 

The skills required to read and understand are taught progressively each year. The main strands of the reading curriculum are: word reading, comprehension, participating in discussion and reading for pleasure. We teach the skills of: defining, retrieval, sequencing, inference, prediction, relating, exploring and comparing and provide opportunities for pupils to develop these skills across a range of genres.  

Library 

The library is a fantastic place to be with a huge range of quality and exciting books in an engaging environment. Groups and classes visit the library to select and share books as well as tell their own stories. Children are taught library skills and encouraged to visit Paulsgrove library which we are lucky to have just over the road. 

Author of the term 

Each half term the pupils are introduced to a different author. They spend some time learning about their life and their journey to writing as well as exploring different texts that they have written. 

Click here to view Authors

A reading community 

Each year the pupils of Beacon View get to meet an author, learn about their writing processes and ask questions. This is such a fantastic opportunity for our pupils and makes the vital link between writing and reading. Previously we have welcomed Guy Bass, Jeanne Willis, Andy Cope and Will Mabbitt. 

Children at Beacon View enjoy taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge and we are proud to celebrate those who complete the challenge.  

Beacon View is a book rich environment where every classroom has a wealth of books to support the curriculum and also selections linked to the class’ interests too. 

World Book Day 

World Book Day falls on the first Thursday of March and we love to celebrate reading and books! Our dressing up efforts are incredible and events include: Dress up a potato competition – judged by the local School Library Service, sharing our favourite books and general book blether! 

Home learning 

It is important to develop the skill of reading alongside the will to read. We encourage children to read at home at least three times a week. Children take home two books aligned to their phonics stage (Read,Write Inc. books) or their reading ability as well as a book of their choice for pleasure. This reading for pleasure book may be above their reading ability and we encourage families to share these books together and to celebrate that this is a book they have chosen to explore. For more information, please see our Home Learning page.