At Hatfeild we believe that reading is one of the most essential skills children develop during their primary school years. It not only forms the foundation for academic success but also opens the door to imagination, creativity, and a lifelong love of learning. At Hatfeild Primary School, children are introduced to the mechanics of reading, comprehension, and critical thinking, which play a crucial role in their overall development.

Stages of Reading Development

Children progress through several key stages of reading during their time in primary school:

Early Reading:

• Children begin to recognize letters and sounds.

• Introduction to phonics: learning how to decode and blend sounds to form words.

• Listening to stories helps build vocabulary and comprehension.

• Beginning to read simple words and short sentences.

Emerging Reader:

• Greater focus on reading sentences fluently.

• Developing sight vocabulary—recognizing common words quickly.

• Expanding knowledge of phonics and starting to read longer texts.

• Understanding stories, recalling details, and making simple predictions.

Transitional Reader:

• Reading more independently.

• Starting to explore a range of texts, including non-fiction and poetry.

• Gaining a deeper understanding of the meaning behind the text.

• Identifying main ideas, supporting details, and making inferences.

Fluent Reader:

• Reading with expression and fluency.

• Interpreting more complex texts and exploring themes, character motives, and plot twists.

• Beginning to analyse the text critically and draw conclusions.

• Reading a variety of genres, including fiction, non-fiction, and digital texts.

Guided Reading

At Hatfeild Primary School, daily Whole Class Guided Reading is implemented throughout Key Stage 2 and during the summer term of Year 2. This structured approach is designed to ensure that all pupils develop confidence and fluency in their reading by the time they complete their primary education.

For children requiring additional support, targeted interventions are in place. These children are pre-taught key vocabulary and given the opportunity to read the text with adult guidance prior to the whole class session, enabling them to participate fully and confidently.

The daily reading sessions focus on enhancing critical reading skills, allowing pupils to apply them through practical exercises. These include comprehension, comparison, summarising, inference, prediction, and explanation, providing a well-rounded foundation for literacy development.  Assessments are used to adapt teaching and provide a tailored reading journey for each child. 

Class teachers document observations from guided reading sessions in each child's reading record. This provides parents with a weekly update on their child's reading progress, offering valuable insights into their development and achievements in their reading journey. 

At Hatfeild we believe that children should be exposed to a vast variety of texts. Our Guided Reading texts have been selected because of their high quality, language-rich  content, and their ability to engage students while promoting critical thinking and a deep understanding of diverse themes. These carefully chosen texts expose children to a wide range of genres, cultures, and perspectives, fostering a love for reading and enhancing their literacy skills.

We are deeply committed to fostering a culture of 'Reading for Pleasure,' and we strive to equip students with the essential skills needed to develop into adults who find joy and fulfilment in reading.