Finding the Joy

Mrs Kathryn Loh, Head of Year 1 and Year 2

Reading in Early Years and Key Stage One

“When will my child learn to read?”

A common question and focus from parents at the start of their child’s educational journey, from Early Years into Key Stage One. At Kew Green Preparatory School, the answer to that question embodies more than simply teaching the skill to read words or applying the necessary phonetic and grammatical skills which allow them to read. It remains our true mission to instil and nurture a love and passion for reading, hooking the young minds that enter our classrooms to eagerly engage with storybooks. Sparking their ability to imagine and explore new worlds and characters; to learn new facts and feel stimulated to enthusiastically share their knowledge, motivated to discover more.

The first three years of school, starting in Reception through to Year 2, marks a critical period when children develop the foundational skills in reading, which not only enhances their academic progress but also enriches the development of their mind, their personal development alongside their understanding of the wider world.

Encouraging our young learners to find joy in reading requires a multi-faceted approach. This includes exposure to a wide variety of books, an engaging phonics programme, and a positive reading routine both at school and home – with effective partnerships in place to motivate and encourage our children at every turn of the page. Most recently at Kew Green we have found success in pivoting to a new phonics programme which leads with a dynamic, fun and in-depth approach. It finds the joy in phonics. The impact of this is that, through carefully crafted lessons which boost engagement, all our pupils are propelling through the early stages of our reading scheme. For example, by the end of Spring Term this year, 84% of our Year 1 pupils were already working within the reading expectations for Year 2 and 33%of our Year 1 pupils were assessed as having a reading age of over 7 years.

Looking beyond the outcomes and data, importantly, the successful phonics programme has unlocked the ability to de-code and understand sentences and stories, sparking joy, passion and enthusiasm for reading and writing across all our classes in Reception – Year 2. This is celebrated regularly through our pupil voice across the Lower School.

“Reading is a good way to calm yourself down and it’s good to imagine” Teddy, aged 6

“I love to see lots of interesting things in books and in the pictures so you can see how people look and what their life is like” Poppy, aged 6

“Reading brings you into a new world and it feels like somewhere else in a new adventure” Nina, aged 6.

Curating an environment which supports and champions the importance of and opportunities to read is paramount alongside the impact of teaching. A library of diverse books that cover a wide range of subjects and genres is essential for maintaining the interest of our little and curious minds. In our classrooms, we encourage children to choose books from our library, to fill our book corners with their choice of texts. Through giving children a choice, this further engages them in the opportunity to read. In addition to this, each class embraces a ‘whole-class reader’- a book read aloud by the Class Teacher every day.

The power of an adult reading aloud to a child or group of children, modelling excellence in storytelling should never be underestimated from children in our Early Years right through to Year 6 (and even beyond). The ‘whole-class reader’ also allows exposure to chapter books alongside more complex sentence structures, punctuation, grammar and advanced vocabulary together with literary techniques.

The true mission remains unchanged: for children to find the spark and joy in reading by engaging with books they love.

A few favourites from the Kew Green children:

• The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
• A Bear Called Paddington, Michael Bond
• Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Mo Willems
• Pippi Longstocking, Astrid Lindgren
• James and the Giant Peach, Roald Dahl
• Tabby McTat, Julia Donaldson