English

English Vision

At Mitchell Brook, we have ambition for all children to develop a life-long love of language and communication through their English learning. We achieve this through the use of diverse high-quality texts that inspire and excite young speakers, readers and writers.

English Aims

For our children to become confident life-long readers, who love the world of books
For our children to be able to communicate meaning through the spoken and written word with confidence
For our children to enjoy writing and become writers for life
For our children to be proud of their writing in all areas of the curriculum
For our library to be used by all children and families

How we teach Reading at Mitchell Brook...

We have a strong belief that it is not only our duty to provide the provision for the teaching of Reading but develop a love of reading in our students. Encouraging children to read for pleasure supports them becoming a ‘lifelong learner’ and this vision is at the forefront of our approach.

In Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and 2, children take part in daily phonics sessions. We use the Read, Write, Inc. phonics scheme to support the teaching of Phonics.

In Key Stage 1, children take part in Guided Reading sessions which are carried out in small groups, with adult-led focus groups, alongside independent reading-related activities. Our main focus is to ensure that children are developing their comprehension and decoding skills during their reading sessions and in the wider curriculum. This is carried in a variety of ways, including:

The systematic teaching of phonics - daily
Shared reading carried out across different subject areas
A class novel that is shared at the end of the day
Weekly School Library time to promote a love of reading for pleasure across a wide range of books
Supplementary provision, across all year groups, to address identified gaps in reading
High-quality, diverse and age-appropriate texts as models for writing

In Key Stage 2, children take part in Destination Reader lessons across the week. This is a whole-class reading approach that supports and develops children's understanding of the skills of reading. Children deepen their understanding of the high-quality texts they read through the systematic teaching, modelling and practise of strategies and language stems so children are able to confidently discuss an author's style, language and the literary devices used. Our teaching of reading ensures that children achieve a high level of academic success in reading, make excellent progress throughout their time at Mitchell Brook and embeds our school culture of reading for enjoyment.

Reading at Home

Children who read widely, frequently and at length are more likely to achieve academic success - alongside developing the essential life skill of being a fluent reader. In order to support this, the school and families work together to ensure high-quality and regular opportunities for children to practise their reading skills at home as well as in school.

We deliver face-to-face Parent & Family Reading Workshops, throughout the Spring Term, along with virtual Family Partnership Meetings focused on reading at home. Please click on the link below to see the materials shared.

Family Partnership Meeting - Reading