Phonics

We follow the Success for All (SFA) phonics scheme.  This is a systematic, cumulative program that is fast paced and engaging.  It encourages automaticity through the application of newly learned phonemes coupled with opportunities for revisiting past learning. Phonics lessons are taught daily with opportunities for children to practice their phonemic knowledge within the phonics session but also within the shared reading section of SFA lessons.  Through our systematic and consistent approach we aim to develop confident, independent, strategic readers and writers that are prepared for KS1, KS2 and beyond.

Reading

Reading at Discovery Primary Academy

Here in our Academy, we promote the love of reading and are committed to raising standards in reading. Throughout the school we follow a programme for Literacy called ‘Success for All’ (SFA). It is a programme for teaching reading, speaking and listening from Reception to Year 6. The programme is based on research and has been used widely both in the USA and the UK. It has been proven to raise standards in reading and oracy. Our children enjoy a wide range of carefully selected high quality ‘real’ texts across all genres. In most cases, our children will read the whole book, giving them ‘Reading Stamina’. Higher level Reading comprehension is systematically taught across all levels of the programme which ensures children are taught to read, analyse and respond to texts.

Alongside our daily lessons of SFA; children take home reading books from our colour banded system.  Children choose their own reading book from a wide selection of carefully levelled texts made up of different scheme books and ‘real’ books.  The books are organised into different colours and children move through these colour banded books as their reading skills progress.  Children are expected to read at home five times each week. To encourage reading at home we run Year group ‘Race to Read’ competitions with classes competing against each other to win a class reward. 

We appreciate that parents can make the biggest difference to a child’s success in becoming a reader.  Reading every day, even for just 10 minutes, can make all the difference to a child’s success in reading.  We work with our parents through reading advice pages in children’s reading records, holding reading information sessions and promoting reading events both in and outside of school. 

We aim to nurture a love and appreciation of reading which will stay with children for life.  Each class, from Reception to Year 6 have timetabled story times.  This is an opportunity for children to listen to books read aloud by their teacher.  It enables them to listen to longer more complex stories than they may choose themselves as well as discover new vocabulary and develop reading comprehension skills. 

TWL

Tutoring with the Lightning is a reading tutoring programme where pupils work in small groups with a tutor to improve their reading skills. To find out more about TWL please click on this link. https://fft.org.uk/tutoring/

The video is very useful as a guide to TWL and on viewing you may recognise a few people. Happy watching.