Author-Reader
Being an Author-Reader at Filton Avenue
Every child a reader
We prioritise the explicit teaching of Author-Reader skills and, through a well-established culture of reading across the school, foster a life-long love and enjoyment of books.
Children read a variety of carefully chosen class texts and all pupils have access to a well- stocked library, where they can choose their own books to read for pleasure. Each week, teachers share a book review to highlight a book and promote interest in reading.
To teach reading, in Reception and Year 1, we teach phonics using the Read Write Inc. programme. Children take home RWI books they can decode using their phonic knowledge, as well as quality picture books to build their vocabulary and love of reading.
From Year 2, we continue to support pupils’ word reading and fluency skills, and start to develop stronger comprehension skills. In Year 2, we begin whole class reading lessons, where we explicitly teach reading strategies, linked to the school’s Reading Hats. In these sessions, teachers use a wide range of high-quality fiction, non-fiction and poetry texts.
As a school, we also prioritise story time. We regularly read aloud to pupils so that they are immersed in rich literature and language. This helps to extend their vocabulary and comprehension skills, which in turn supports their writing.
If you want to be an Author-Reader at home, try looking at these websites:
If your child is using Accelerated Reader in school, you can find the ZPD for a book at home here:
