Our St. Alban's Reading Promise 

Every child to learn to read - whatever their needs, whatever their background.

We are committed to ensuring that all children learn to read as quickly as possible at St. Alban's. We want to make sure that no child slips through the net and that is why we use the 

Read Write Inc. Phonics Programme.

It is a Department for Education validated, systematic synthetic phonics programme with a whole school approach to teaching early reading and writing, designed to ensure progress for every child, in every primary school. It has proven success in all types of schools, including those with high numbers of children with SEND and those in the least privileged areas.

Our teachers have been trained by the 'Ruth Miskin Training' team. We have regular meetings with our trainer to ensure we are supported to help every child to learn to read - whatever their needs, whatever their background. Read Write Inc. teachers learn how to inject their lessons with energy and enjoyment, from teaching the first sounds to developing fluency and comprehension and engaging children in the best stories that reflect all children’s lives.

Children learn to read sounds and blend them into words. They apply this phonic knowledge to read and comprehend Storybooks that are carefully matched to the sounds they know. Children learn to read these books with a storyteller’s voice. The aim of Read Write Inc. Phonics is for children to learn to read early. By the end of term 2 in Year 2 children are able to read stories at over 100 words per minute. If they are not meeting their targets the children are given intervention and one-to-one tutoring to ensure they catch up.

They also learn how to form letters using mnemonics to help them. They learn to spell correctly using their Fred fingers. And they learn to compose their own writing - drawing upon ideas from the story they’ve just read. Everything knits together: The phonics supports the reading and writing; The reading supports the writing, the writing supports the reading. That’s why Ruth Miskin called it Read Write Inc.

Once the children are confident readers we continue to foster a love of reading through our book based curriculum. We teach reading using 'Literacy Leaves'. Literary Leaves are book-based comprehension planning resources for Y2-Y6 designed to support teachers with the teaching of reading, using whole books, rather than extracts. They can be used in whole-class or guided reading sessions.

Each Literary Leaf has 10-20 session notes, with each session focusing on skills from the Programme of Study, so that children have the opportunity to secure them deeply. In many cases the same question stem is repeated to ensure teachers can model how to answer questions, before the children  apply it themselves.

Literary leaves are not intended to replace teachers' own planning but to support them to ask the right questions at the right time, and plan for activities that help children to become critical readers