Reading

Reading is a priority at Pinfold Street. Our aim is for all pupils to read fluently, confidently and choose to read for pleasure.
We ensure we provide well-structured lessons teaching explicit phonics and reading skills through RWI and WCR (Whole Class Reading).
We explicitly teach the reading skills through VIPERS and we use our reading dogs to help children remember the skills.
- KS1 VIPERS dogs: Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval, Sequence
- KS2 VIPERS dogs: Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval, Summary
We ensure our children are exposed to a range of quality texts/extracts (fiction, non-fiction and poetry) with WCR and English lessons.
For struggling readers, we run a range of interventions: RWI phonics, Catch-Up Reading, Precision Teaching, Taming Tricky Words and sessions practising the skills (reading dogs).

Within WCR, each year group builds up their own Vocabulary Vault. This helps lock in vocabulary through pre-teaching and repetition.

Throughout the academic year, there are weeks when WCR lessons are based on whole school themes: Remembrance, Shakespeare, Martin Luther King and Safer Internet Day.
Click here to view the structure of phonics and reading lessons throughout the whole school.

We ensure that we provide a wide range of books for our children. We want children to enjoy reading and be able to choose a book that interests them.
Each year, we take part in fun days and competitions, which promote a love of reading. Children love dressing up and completing activities on World Book Day and Pyjamarama.
Reading for pleasure sessions timetabled at least twice per week.
KS2 use Accelerated Reader enabling children to complete a mini quiz after each book read. Children earn points and enjoy the mini quizzes, which also help deepen their understanding.
Each class has story time at least three times a week where children just listen to a story being read by an adult.
EYFS have taken part in the ‘1000 Stories Project’.

All home reading and individual reading at school is logged on GoRead. If you need help using it or have forgotten your child’s login, please email info@pinfold-st.walsall.sch.uk.
Home reading books organised to match pupils’ phonic skills and reading age.
Home reading books to promote a love of reading: all pupils select a library book to take home, either Family Shared Book or pupil interest book.
Each year, we run ‘Family Reading Challenges’. These encourage children to read at least 5 times per week to be invited to attend a ‘VIR Event’ (Very Important Reader Event). The ‘VIR Events’ are a special occasion and a reward for the children’s reading efforts at home. Some examples of these events are film nights, ice cream and pizza parties, water fun on the field, Lego time and party games.
To read more about individual reading at school and home reading, please click here.