Reading – word reading

Statutory requirements

Pupils should be taught to: 

• apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words 
• respond speedily with the correct sound to graphemes (letters or groups of letters) for all 40+ phonemes, including, where applicable, alternative sounds for graphemes 
• read accurately by blending sounds in unfamiliar words containing GPCs that have been taught 
• read common exception words, noting unusual correspondences between spelling and sound and where these occur in the word 
• read words containing taught GPCs and –s, –es, –ing, –ed, –er and –est endings 
• read other words of more than one syllable that contain taught GPCs  read words with contractions [for example, I’m, I’ll, we’ll], and understand that the apostrophe represents the omitted letter(s) 
• read aloud accurately books that are consistent with their developing phonic knowledge and that do not require them to use other strategies to work out words 
• re-read these books to build up their fluency and confidence in word reading.

Reading – comprehension

Statutory requirements

Pupils should be taught to: 

• develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: 
• listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently 
• being encouraged to link what they read or hear read to their own experiences 
• becoming very familiar with key stories, fairy stories and traditional tales, retelling them and considering their particular characteristics 
• recognising and joining in with predictable phrases 
• learning to appreciate rhymes and poems, and to recite some by heart 
• discussing word meanings, linking new meanings to those already known 
• understand both the books they can already read accurately and fluently and those they listen to by: 
• drawing on what they already know or on background information and vocabulary provided by the teacher 
• checking that the text makes sense to them as they read and correcting inaccurate reading 
• discussing the significance of the title and events 
• making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done 
• predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far 
• participate in discussion about what is read to them, taking turns and listening to what others say 
• explain clearly their understanding of what is read to them.