At Sampford Peverell CofE Primary School, reading is at the heart of our curriculum. We know that reading is one of the strongest indicators of future success and provides children with the knowledge, vocabulary and confidence they need to thrive both in school and in later life.

Our aim is to develop fluent, confident readers who have a genuine love of books and reading. Through high-quality teaching, engaging texts and a rich reading culture, we want every child to leave our school with a passion for reading that lasts a lifetime.

We celebrate reading in many ways throughout the year, including World Book Day, author visits, reading events and opportunities for children to share books with one another.

Early Reading and Phonics

Children begin their reading journey through Read Write Inc. (RWI), our systematic synthetic phonics programme.

Through daily phonics lessons, children learn the skills needed to decode words, build fluency and become confident readers. Alongside their phonics sessions, children read carefully matched books which allow them to practise and apply the sounds they have been taught.

For further information, please visit our Phonics page.

Developing Fluency and Comprehension

Once children have successfully completed the Read Write Inc. programme, they move on to whole-class reading instruction.

We use a range of high-quality texts and carefully selected resources to support children's continued development as readers. Our approach places a strong emphasis on developing reading fluency through:

• Teacher modelling
• Echo reading
• Choral reading
• Repeated reading

These strategies help children read accurately, automatically and with expression.

Alongside fluency, children develop their comprehension skills through discussion and questioning using the V.I.P.E.R.S. approach:

• Vocabulary
• Inference
• Prediction
• Explanation
• Retrieval
• Sequence / Summarise

This framework enables children to think deeply about what they read and become increasingly reflective and analytical readers.

Further information about V.I.P.E.R.S. can be found here.

Our Reading Spine

Each class follows a carefully planned Reading Spine, ensuring that every child is exposed to a broad range of high-quality literature throughout their primary education.

Our Reading Spine includes classic and contemporary fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Through daily whole-class reading sessions, children encounter ambitious vocabulary, diverse perspectives and inspiring authors, helping to broaden their understanding of the world and foster a lifelong appreciation of reading.

Accelerated Reader

When children move on from the Read Write Inc. programme, they begin selecting books from our school library that form part of the Accelerated Reader programme.

Accelerated Reader helps children to choose books that are well matched to their reading ability while encouraging independence and reading for pleasure.

Children complete a Star Reader Assessment in school, which generates a Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) score. This score identifies a range of book levels that are appropriately challenging for each child and helps guide book selection.

After reading a book, children complete a short quiz which assesses their understanding of the text. The programme allows staff and children to monitor reading progress and celebrate success along the way.

For more information, please visit:

Parent Guide to Renaissance (Accelerated Reader and Star Reader) can be found here.

Supporting Reading at Home

Reading Every Day Makes a Difference

Research consistently shows that children who read regularly develop stronger vocabulary, language, comprehension and academic skills. Just 20 minutes of reading each day can have a significant impact on a child's educational success.

We strongly encourage all children to read or share a book with an adult every day. Even a short period of daily reading can make an enormous difference over time.

Reading Records

Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are provided with a reading record. Parents and carers are encouraged to record reading completed at home so that school and home can work together to support each child's progress.

Regular comments help teachers understand how children are developing as readers and enable us to celebrate their successes.

Sharing Books at Home

Children following the Read Write Inc. programme will bring home:

• A phonically matched reading book that they can read independently.
• A parent share book, chosen by your child for you to read aloud and enjoy with their child.

Listening to stories read aloud is incredibly important. It develops children's vocabulary, comprehension, imagination and love of reading, even before they are able to read the text themselves.

Top Tips for Parents

You can support your child's reading by:

• Reading with your child every day.
• Listening to your child read aloud.
• Reading stories to your child, regardless of their age.
• Talking about books and asking questions.
• Visiting the local library.
• Letting your child see you reading for pleasure.
• Encouraging your child to read a wide range of texts.

Further advice can be found here:

BookTrust - Motivating Children to Read at Home

GOV.UK - 10 Top Tips for Parents to Support Children to Read