Reading Spine
At Morton Trentside, we teach children both how to learn to read and to read to learn. Learning to read focuses primarily on the phonics skills of the children and being able to decode and blend sounds to read. This also includes alien words and high frequency words. Reading to Learn focuses primarily upon the reciprocal reading skills children require to read for pleasure and to develop subject knowledge. These reciprocal reading skills are taught explicitly in our weekly reading skills lessons, in groups or whole class. We plan our English lessons around high quality core texts, which also link to the topics and themes for that term.
We have identified key anchor texts for every English unit taught in a year group. We have ensured our selected texts represent a wide range of diversity in both authors and protagonists and are engaging to encourage a love for reading. A diet of fiction and non-fiction is promoted within our Reading Spine.
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our-reading-spine-rationale | [pdf 509KB] |
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Recommended Reads
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reception-recommended-reads | [pdf 711KB] |
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year-1-recommended-reads | [pdf 545KB] |
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year-2-recommended-reads | [pdf 525KB] |
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year-3-recommended-reads | [pdf 529KB] |
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year-4-recommended-reads | [pdf 513KB] |
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year-5-recommended-reads | [pdf 545KB] |
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year-6-recommended-reads | [pdf 533KB] |
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Parent help - how can I support my child when reading at home?
The most important thing is to make reading enjoyable. Children are more likely to become confident readers when reading feels positive, relaxed, and fun.
Read Together Every Day
- Aim for 10 to 15 minutes of reading each day.
- Take turns reading a page, paragraph, or sentence.
- Read aloud to your child, even if they can already read independently. This helps develop vocabulary, comprehension, and a love of stories.
Build Reading Fluency
- Read and Follow: You read while your child follows the words with their finger.
- My Turn, Your Turn: Alternate reading sections of the text.
- Echo Reading: Read a sentence or passage and ask your child to copy your pace and expression.
Talk About the Book
Ask questions:
- Before reading: "What do you think this story will be about?"
- During reading: "What do you think will happen next?"
- After reading: "Can you tell me what happened?" or "Why do you think the character did that?"
Encourage Reading for Pleasure
- Let your child choose books that interest them.
- Include comics, magazines, fact books, and audiobooks.
- Visit the local library regularly to discover new reading materials.
Create a Reading-Friendly Home
- Keep books easily accessible.
- Have a comfortable place for reading.
- Show your child that reading is valued by letting them see you read too.
Praise Effort and Progress
- Celebrate small achievements.
- Focus on effort rather than mistakes.
- Encourage your child to keep trying when they find a word difficult.
Make Reading Part of Everyday Life
- Read recipes, shopping lists, signs, and instructions together.
- Talk regularly about new words and their meanings.
- Encourage conversations about books and stories.