Reading
Subject Leads: Mrs Louise Tottle and Miss Charlotte Bloor
Reading at High Legh Primary School
At High Legh Primary School, reading is at the heart of our curriculum. We believe that learning to read is one of the most important skills a child will develop and that a love of reading opens the door to lifelong learning, imagination and opportunity.
We are committed to ensuring every child becomes a fluent, confident reader who reads for both pleasure and purpose. Through high-quality teaching, carefully matched reading books and engaging texts, we develop children's fluency, comprehension and enjoyment of reading.
Early Reading and Phonics
We teach early reading through the Ready, Steady, Phonics programme. Children practise their reading using carefully matched Dandelion Readers, both in school and at home, enabling them to apply their phonics knowledge with confidence. Once children have completed Phase 2 phonics, they also begin taking home book-banded reading books to develop fluency, comprehension and discussion with parents and carers.
Children who need additional support receive targeted intervention and extra reading practice. Dandelion Readers continue to support children in Years 1 and 2 who require further consolidation, including those who have not yet met the expected standard in the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check.
Reading for Pleasure
Our love of reading can be seen throughout the school. Every classroom has an inviting reading area stocked with a wide range of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and topic books, which are refreshed regularly through the Cheshire Educational Library Service.
Children also enjoy visiting our well-stocked school library each week, where they can discover new authors and genres. We are grateful to our PTA, who purchase new books each year to keep our library exciting and up to date.
Our Year 6 pupils act as Reading Buddies for children in Year 1, listening to them read, encouraging their confidence and helping them choose new books. We are also fortunate to have parents and members of our local community who regularly volunteer to hear children read across the school.
By working together with families, we aim to inspire every child to become a confident, enthusiastic and lifelong reader.