Reading
At Joseph Cash, we believe that reading enables children to gain insight into the powerful world of imagination.
At Joseph Cash, we believe reading is more than just an academic skill—it's a gateway to lifelong learning, imagination, and critical thinking. Developing a love for reading enriches students’ lives and strengthens their ability to succeed in a complex, interconnected world.
Types of reading in School
There are many opportunities for children to develop skills in reading at school:
Read Write Inc lessons
Teaching the sounds of letters to make words. Children are encouraged to segment (break up sounds) and blend sounds (put them back together to read).
Modelled reading
Modelled Reading is an interactive reading experience that is led by the class teacher and develops keys skills with fluency. Teachers will model fluency by using echo reading and choral reading. Exploration of key vocabulary is also taught during these sessions.
We want children to understand what skills they need to become an effective reader.
Guided Reading
This is a time for children to practise decoding, fluency and comprehension skills at their level but guided by the teacher. All children in the group read the same text at the same time though individual pacing may vary. When not with the teacher, children will develop comprehension skills (linked to JC Readers) within small groups or individually.
Accelerated Reader and 1:1 reading
Children read books tailored to their decoding and comprehension ability. Children take quizzes to test their understanding of the text. These texts are chosen to challenge children at their particular reading age whilst also allowing the children to develop fluency and confidence with reading.
Story time
Children have the opportunity to listen to a story being read to them. This highlights the importance of reading for pleasure and is a great way for staff to display their love of reading too. This is a time for children to enjoy books, whilst providing language rich experience and opportunities to develop vocabulary and comprehension skills.
Library
Our well-stocked library provides a wide range of books for all ages and interests, fostering a love for reading in every student. Children have access to the library every lunchtime as well as scheduled times within their timetables.
Why is reading so important?
Have you ever heard of the saying 'leaders are readers?' There is no doubt about it. People who read more, are more likely to be seen as leaders to their peers due to their expert knowledge.
Learning to read is about listening and understanding as well as working out what is printed on the page. Through hearing stories, children are exposed to a wide range of vocabulary. This helps them build their own vocabulary and improve their understanding when they listen to texts being read to them. Children then begin to develop their own opinions of texts.
Stories also allow readers to step into the shoes of others, experiencing different perspectives and cultures. This builds empathy and promotes inclusivity.
It is important for them to understand how stories work too. Even if your child does not understand every word, they will hear new sounds, words and phrases which they can then try out, copying what they have heard.
Click the links to find out more about Reading at jcp
Click here to view our 'book spine'
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go!” Dr Seuss
Reading at Home
Reading at home is just as important as reading at school. We offer a range of reading workshops across the year to support you in encouraging your child to read at home:
Set aside dedicated reading time each day.
Create a cosy, distraction-free reading space.
Let your child choose books that interest them.
Discuss books together to deepen comprehension and connection.
At Joseph Cash, we strive to inspire a love for reading that will benefit our students far beyond the classroom. Together, let’s build a community of lifelong readers!
We have a home-school reading system (up to Year 6), which requests that children read for at least ten minutes each day. A home school reading diary is sent with the child's book for parents / careers to make comments in.
Our Parents' Learning Zone has lots of 'top tips' and 'how to guides' click the links to find out more!
Accelerated Reader
At Joseph Cash, all children in Key Stage 2 take part in the Accelerated Reader programme which promotes engagement and progress in reading. Each half term, children take a Star Reading test which establishes their reading age and recommends which level of reading book they should be reading in order to make maximum progress. After completing a book, children take an online quiz to test their comprehension of the book, and if successful, move onto a higher level of reading book.
The children find this approach to reading enjoyable and engaging; they are able to track their progress, challenge themselves and set their own goals. Achievements are celebrated by earning points, counting the number of words read and celebrating success in assembly with their peers.
We have a competition every term for the children who read for an average of at least 20 minutes a day, these children are then invited to the local bookshop to choose books for our library.
