Reading Programmes

[Pyrrah]

Not sure if Programmes is even the right word or not!

I'm fixing up appointments to go and look at a load of schools and trying putting together a short list of questions.

Is there one government recommended reading scheme - for example I've heard of 'Jolly Phonics' or are there a whole load that can be used?

If there are several, is one more popular than the others... or is one 'better' than all the others?

Any thoughts on what methods/programmes would have you running for the door/making the school your first preference?

With regard to reading, ask them how they are tackling the teaching of phonics. You need to look for some systematic way of working with phonics, not just in the early years but as they go up the school. There are different schemes that can be followed. Jolly Phonics just covers the earlier stages of phonics teaching. Some schools think they are teaching phonics but after Reception, just get phonic books and activities out a couple of times a week rather than making it the foundation of learning to read!

A key thing to ask is what type of reading books they use. Ideally they should be using phonic books that build on the sounds the children are learning rather than blinking Floppy and Kipper whole word books, although Floppy's Phonics is OK. Phonic schemes include Read Write Inc, Songbird Phonics, Big Cat Phonics and Rigby Star Phonics Bug but the school may use a mix of several of these and that is fine. IMO it's not so much what scheme the school use, but whether or not it is phonic that is key.

You could ask what the policy is regarding reading books. Do children have to cover every single book at a particular level before moving on to the next? ( if a child is learning fast this can be a frustration for them) although this may make you look a bit pfb. You could also ask what interventions they put in place if a child is struggling with reading. (will probably make you look a bit less pfb!!). Clear confident answers to this are good. Humming and harring and vague answers may mean there is not a clear policy in place!

OK thats my pennyworth. Others with more KS1 experience will be along shortly I'm sure.

Ask whether they teach other strategies for reading, such as guessing words from pictures, initial letters or context. Well, don't be quite as blunt as that; maybe ask how they would teach a child to work out what an unfamiliar word 'says'. If they talk about the above strategies, run!

Thanks that is very helpful.

I'm hoping to be able to ask questions in such a way that the school doesn't feel they need to pray that they don't get landed with my pfb (and ONLY pfb at that! )