Reading is one of the most powerful and important skills a child can learn and can often be a predicator for future academic success. At Waterfield we understand the skills and steps required for a child to develop their early literacy skills and ask that parents read to, and with, their child every day. This may be by reading a bedtime story, making up a story and telling it to their child, hearing their child read every day or looking through a picture book and discussing the illustrations. 

We recognise that reading is a multisensory activity that should be practised daily, we know that by unlocking the joy and skill of reading the rest of the curriculum is unlocked.

We therefore teach phonics in a fun and engaging way, every day, through singing, dance and movement. Even our youngest learners, in Nursery, begin their phonics daily through our Song of Sounds Programme.

Once a week, during the summer term, we have a ‘Big Phonics Day’ where the Nursery children further practise their early reading and writing skills through adult-led activities and games. 

We also support children’s early literacy and communication skills by teaching with wordless books. Wordless books help children to ‘read’ the pictures and provide their own narrative to a story. Through discussion about illustrations children develop the skills and confidence necessary to support their comprehension and understanding as well as extending their vocabulary. Wordless books also help children to begin to develop an understanding of inference and viewpoint in support of their future learning.

Our Reception cohort are taught daily phonics and supported to build their reading and writing skills daily. All our children have access to reading books that match the sounds they are being taught in their phonic sessions, these books are sent home with children on a weekly basis. We encourage as much reading as possible and parents are encouraged to record children’s daily reading in their reading record books.

The Early Years department is bursting with language and words – creating a vocabulary-rich environment which supports all the children in developing a love of reading.

We recognise the powerful impact parents have on their children and their child’s education. That is why, at Waterfield, we have developed the ethos of parents as co-educators. We know children do not just learn at school – they learn at home too! With parents having so much to offer and contribute to their child’s literacy learning and development. We celebrate and encourage children to develop a love of reading by sending home amazing books/ stories weekly that parents can read to their child to increase their exposure to a variety of vocabulary, expand their imagination and encourage further learning. We also provide home learning ideas and offer further learning materials at key points throughout the year to ensure teachers and parents work together and you are kept informed about your child’s learning. 

We also offer further support your child’s reading and academic development at home by sending home Phonics practise sheets that correspond with the sounds taught on a weekly basis.

The Waterfield Early Years Department supports our Learning Focus/Stimuli with a bespoke and carefully selected core texts linked to each half term topic. Whilst this will not be the only books we explore, we use the selected core texts during literacy and to inform continuous provision activities. This fosters awe and wonder and enable the children to take their learning in all sorts of imaginative and inspiring directions. Our core texts include traditional tales/ fairytales, stories including different cultural representations, repetitive rhymes/ rhyming books/ song books, non- fiction books, and stories written by well-known authors.

We incorporate daily story time into our timetable, which is a particular highlight each and every day for our children. We encourage each child to exercise their right to choose by voting for their story time book daily. They thoroughly enjoy listening to their teachers read with expression, intonation, and expression which helps bring each character to life. A perfect way to end the school day.