Reading at Lytham Hall Park Primary School and Nursery

At Lytham Hall Park Primary School and Nursery, we believe that reading is the key to unlocking lifelong learning. Our aim is to develop confident, fluent readers who not only achieve well academically but also develop a genuine love of books and literature.

Our Reading Journey

We provide children with access to a wide range of high-quality texts throughout their time in school. Early readers use carefully matched phonics books before progressing through a combination of:

• Oxford Reading Tree
• Bug Club
• A wide selection of carefully chosen real books and quality children's literature
• Accelerated Reader from Year 2 onwards

Our approach ensures that every child experiences success, enjoyment and challenge as they develop as readers.

Phonics

Reading begins with a strong foundation in phonics. We teach phonics through a systematic synthetic phonics programme, using Red Rose Letters and Sounds, which follows the progression and principles of the national Letters and Sounds programme.

Children read phonically decodable books that closely match their phonics knowledge. This continues until they are secure in Phase 5 phonics, enabling them to read with increasing fluency and confidence.

Accelerated Reader

Since 2015, we have successfully used Accelerated Reader (AR) with pupils from Year 2 to Year 6. Accelerated Reader is a personalised reading programme that helps children:

• Develop reading confidence and independence
• Improve comprehension and vocabulary
• Choose books suited to their ability and interests
• Build positive reading habits
• Foster a lifelong love of reading

Children complete a reading assessment that identifies their Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), helping them select books that provide the right level of challenge while maintaining enjoyment.

After finishing a book, pupils take a short online quiz in school to demonstrate their understanding and celebrate their success.

To find out more about Accelerated Reader, visit the Accelerated Reader website.

Why We Use Accelerated Reader

Research shows that regular reading practice is one of the most important factors in literacy development. Once children become confident decoders, they are able to focus on understanding, enjoyment and learning from what they read.

The National Literacy Trust found that children who use Accelerated Reader are more likely to:

• Enjoy reading
• Read more frequently
• View themselves as readers
• Believe reading is important for future success
• Develop more positive attitudes towards reading

As Dr Christina Clark of the National Literacy Trust stated:

"Children and young people who use AR tend to enjoy reading more, do it more often and think more positively about reading than their peers who do not use AR. They are also more likely to see a link between reading and their successes."

Supporting Reading at Home

Parents and carers play a vital role in helping children become successful readers. Through Renaissance Home Connect, families can:

• Monitor quiz results and reading progress
• View books completed and quiz scores
• Access personalised reading information
• Find suitable books using the Book Finder tool
• Support reading development at home

Login details are provided by school and can be found in your child's Reading Planner.

Celebrating Reading

At Lytham Hall Park, we work hard to make reading exciting and rewarding. Throughout the year, children enjoy a range of reading celebrations and incentives, including:

• The 100% Quiz Success Board
• The Millionaire Club
• Visiting authors and storytellers
• Special reading events and competitions
• Whole-school reading celebrations

These opportunities help to inspire children and reinforce the message that reading is enjoyable, rewarding and an important part of everyday life.

Our Vision

Our reading provision is built around three key aims:

1. To develop strong reading skills and academic achievement.
2. To improve pupils' understanding, vocabulary and critical thinking.
3. To foster a lifelong love of reading.

By working together with families, we aim to ensure that every child leaves Lytham Hall Park as a confident, enthusiastic reader, ready to access the opportunities that reading brings throughout their lives.