Our Intent for Reading & Phonics

“A book is a device to ignite the imagination.” — Alan Bennett

At Luttons Community Primary Academy, we believe that reading is the foundation of all learning and a fundamental right for every child. We aspire to foster a culture of curiosity and confidence, ensuring every child develops a lifelong passion for books. By mastering the mechanics of reading early, our pupils transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn,” using their skills as a passport to explore the world and express their own unique voices.

Reading

Substantive Knowledge: The Skilled Reader

We focus on the essential building blocks that transform a child into a fluent, expressive reader. Our curriculum is carefully mapped to develop:

• Word Recognition & Fluency: Moving from decoding to effortless automaticity.

• Prosody: The ability to read aloud with expression, rhythm, and intonation.

• Comprehension: Deepening knowledge of syntax, context, and narrative structure.

• Vocabulary: Building a vast “word bank” that children can use to unlock complex and diverse texts.

Disciplinary Knowledge: The Critical Reader

We use a range of high-quality tools to refine these skills as children progress:

• Early Foundations: We build firm foundations through Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised in Nursery, Reception, and Key Stage One.

• Fluency in KS2: Pupils continue to sharpen their stamina and speed through targeted phonics support and the Reading Plus programme.

• Comprehension & Research: Through Guided Reading and text-heavy writing sessions, children learn to evaluate and deconstruct themes. This allows them to use reading as a tool for independent research across the wider curriculum.

• Dialogic Talk: We prioritize “book talk.” Through structured discussion and oral rehearsal, children learn to evaluate, debate, and build upon ideas, becoming critical readers who are prepared for the wider world.

Phonics & Early Reading

Substantive Knowledge: Decoding for Discovery

In the early stages, substantive knowledge is the ability to decode and sight-read words accurately. This technical skill is the key that unlocks the door to reading for pleasure. We want our children to not only read but to recite poetry, perform stories, and broaden their vocabulary through the power of the written word.

Disciplinary Knowledge: The Little Wandle Journey

We follow the Little Wandle programme with absolute fidelity to ensure no child is left behind.

• Nursery (Foundations to Phonics): The journey begins with “tuning into sounds.” Children develop focused listening, attention, and oral blending skills through games and rhymes, preparing them for the formal code.

• Reception: Through repeated practice of Grapheme-Phoneme Correspondences (GPCs), children move from oral blending to decoding and blending written words.

• Year One: Children explore alternative spellings for sounds, using this knowledge to increase their reading speed and make their written spelling and handwriting more accurate.

• Building Stamina: Across the whole program, children engage in repeated practice with fully decodable books. This ensures they build the “reading muscles” needed to read sentences with ease and confidence.

Our Literacy Mantra: “Think it, Say it, Read it”

Consistent with our school-wide focus on oracy, we encourage children to verbalize their understanding. Whether they are blending a new word in Reception or debating a character’s motives in Year 6, oral composition and articulate speech are at the heart of every reading lesson at Luttons.

Phonics Policy

Reading Policy

Reading Overview