Our Reading to Learn Structure

At Woodlands Academy we implemented a 3 day reading structure in Key Stage 2 which allows children to read a wide range of text types within fiction and non-fiction. The chosen text extracts are often linked to their topics currently being taught in class and will be appropriate for their age group.  

As part of this weekly reading structure, we have focused on reading domains/skills to help children develop their love for reading. Having metacognitive processes with reading and teacher modeling allows us to increase children’s Cultural Capital, build their vocabulary and word knowledge.  This is why we moved from Guided Reading to a whole class Reading To Learn structure. 

  • Day 1- Activate Vocabulary– on this day, children do a range of activities to widen their vocabulary. This may involve using a dictionary or thesaurus. The focus domains on this day are likely to be ‘I am a Word Wizard’ and ‘I am a Fortune Teller’
  • Day 2- Reading Together on the second day, children read the text together as a whole class and deconstruct the text, using their knowledge of the vocabulary from the previous day. There is lots of discussion about the text. The focus domains on this day are likely to be ‘I am a Retriever’, ‘I am a Detective’, ‘I am a Word Wizard’, ‘I am an explainer’ and ‘I am a Reader’.
  • Day 3- SATS Style Questions on the third day, children use their comprehension and inference skills to answer questions about the text. The focus domains on this day are likely to be ‘I am a Retriever’, ‘I am a Detective’, ‘I am a Summariser’ and ‘I am an Author’

These Reading Icon Domains/skills are also used across other subjects in the curriculum.

Opportunities for wider reading

There are plenty of opportunities for children to read for pleasure. E.g a weekly class slot in our Woodlands Library, Early morning work- Free choice Friday/ other times throughout the day and Class Reader time. As well as access to our amazing Woodlands Library, each class has their own reading area where they can choose all different types of books. Class Reader time at the end of each day allows children to hear their class teacher read a book aloud using expression. 

Children can also use Chromebooks in the classroom and for home learning to access books online too on BugClub if they prefer to read digital copies of texts. The allocated books  are matched to the childrens’ reading level. 

We are very grateful to our Parent Volunteers who offer their time to come in and listen to pupils read. If you would like to become a parent volunteer, please contact the office. 

Reading at home is very important to help our pupils develop a ‘love for reading’. We encourage children to read for at least 10 minutes each day to an adult at home. Children will have a colour banded book matched to their current reading level and a free choice book from our Woodlands Library once a week. Please sign your child’s reading record to comment on their reading. Click here for an information booklet on ‘Reading booklet parents’.

There are many websites/ apps that can support reading practice at home.

Libby is an app that allows you to borrow e-books and more from your local library. You can download it from the Google Play store or App Store.

Bugclub is an amazing resource for children to practice reading and develop their comprehension skills. They can read fiction and non-fiction books electronically and click on the bug symbol to answer questions about the text. 

  • Children in Key Stage 2 have logins for BugClub.
  • Every child in our school has a unique USO login.
  • Username: #######.307       Password: Same as you use for Google Classroom.
  • The school code is 6gpk
  • Click here to start reading on Bugclub.

Oxford Owl is an ebook library that allows children to read books matched to the phonics sounds they are learning in class. There are fiction and non-fiction books available.

  • Children in Key Stage 1 have access to Oxford Owl e-book library.
  • Every child in our school has a unique USO login.
  • Username: #######     Password: Same as you use for Google Classroom. Please note: For the username, DO NOT use .307
  • The school code is rwb4
  • Click here to start enjoying the Oxford Owl e-book library.