Reading and Phonics at Boughton Leigh Infant School

Our Vision for Reading

At Boughton Leigh Infant school, reading is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to ensuring every child becomes a confident, fluent reader who develops a lifelong love of books, stories and language.

We believe that secure early reading skills unlock learning across the whole curriculum and are fundamental to future success. From the moment children join us in Nursery and Reception, they are immersed in a language-rich environment where stories, rhyme and vocabulary are central to daily learning.

Early Reading in the EYFS

Early reading begins with high-quality interactions, storytelling, singing, sharing books and developing a strong foundation in communication and language. Children are encouraged to:

• Listen attentively and engage with stories and texts
• Retell familiar stories and narratives
• Develop vocabulary through talk and adult modelling
• Explore rhyme, rhythm and alliteration
• Build early comprehension skills through discussion

These experiences ensure children develop the essential building blocks needed for phonics and reading fluency.

 

Systematic Phonics Teaching

We teach phonics through a structured, systematic programme using Read Write Inc. Phonics.

This programme ensures that children learn to:

• Recognise and say individual sounds (phonemes)
• Blend sounds to read words
• Segment words to support spelling
• Read with increasing fluency and accuracy
• Apply their phonics knowledge in writing from an early stage

Phonics teaching begins as soon as children are ready in Reception and is delivered daily in carefully structured sessions. Children are regularly assessed and grouped according to their stage of development to ensure teaching is precisely matched to need.

 

Reading Books and Progression

Children take home carefully matched reading books that are closely aligned to the sounds they have learned. This ensures they experience success and build confidence as developing readers.

We use a combination of phonically decodable books and high-quality stories to support both skill development and a love of reading. As children progress, they move towards increasingly complex texts and develop greater independence and comprehension.

 

Developing a Love of Reading

Alongside phonics, we place a strong emphasis on fostering enjoyment and engagement in reading. Children are regularly exposed to high-quality texts, including traditional tales, contemporary stories, poetry and non-fiction.

Staff read to children daily, modelling expressive reading and introducing ambitious vocabulary. Learning environments are enriched with books and reading opportunities that encourage curiosity and discussion.

A key feature of our reading culture is our Love of Reading Day, where children and staff come together to focus on a high-quality core text. Throughout the day, children explore the story in depth through drama, storytelling, discussion and creative exploration. This immersive approach helps children develop a deeper understanding of characters, settings and narratives while strengthening their enjoyment of reading.

We aim for every child to leave our Early Years provision seeing themselves as a reader.

 

Reading at Home

We recognise that reading at home plays a vital role in developing fluency and confidence. Parents and carers are encouraged to read regularly with their child and share stories together.

We provide guidance and support to families to help them understand how to:

• Support early phonics learning
• Listen to their child read effectively
• Ask questions to develop comprehension
• Foster enjoyment and routine around reading

 

Assessment and Support

Children’s reading development is carefully monitored through ongoing assessment. This allows staff to quickly identify next steps and provide additional support where needed.

Where children require further intervention, targeted support is put in place to ensure all pupils make strong progress and keep up with their peers.

 

Inclusion and Early Intervention

We are committed to ensuring that every child becomes a successful reader. Teaching is adapted to meet individual needs, and additional support is provided where necessary, including for children with SEND or those who are new to English.

Early identification and intervention ensure that gaps are addressed quickly so that all children can access the full curriculum.

A Strong Foundation for the Future

By the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, children at Boughton Leigh Infant School leave as confident, enthusiastic and developing fluent readers. They have a secure foundation in phonics, a growing vocabulary and a genuine love of books that prepares them well for the next stage of their education, with children making good progress from their starting points in reading.