RWI and fluency strategies help our children learn to read and understand what they read but to truly develop the love of reading, we believe in our reading principles:

• Adults as reading role models:
  • Children look to the adults within schools as their role models. They should see us as readers and we should engage with the children and share our reading habits and our love for reading.

• Engage parents in reading with their child:
  • We have carefully designed home reading activities to allow all parents to engage with their child’s reading at home.
• Celebrate children’s reading successes:
  • Racing Reading charts are filled in weekly and (bronze, silver, gold and governor) awards are handed out.
  • Free books are given as rewards for achieving the Governor’s Award.
• Keep reading high profile all year round:
  • Regular assemblies are run by Carmel House Ambassadors where children share which classroom library book they are currently reading.
  • Racing Reading charts are filled in weekly.
• Offer a broad reading diet:
  • Children are not going to enjoy every book they read. It is essential we offer a wider range of books that children have access to. We strongly believe there is the right book for even the most reticent of readers.
• Time to read:
  • In KS2, children read independently every morning for 20 minutes.

“I love reading the new books. They make me feel at home and if I’m having a bad day, they cheer me up” – Annie Y4