Reading

Our 'Just Reading' Sessions

Our reading sessions follow a consistent structure to help children develop their vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and confidence as readers.

1. Pre-Read

Before each reading session, the teacher reads the book or relevant chapter in advance. This helps them to become familiar with the text and identify 3–4 key vocabulary words that are important for children to understand. These words are then explicitly taught during the session to support children’s vocabulary development and their overall understanding of the text.

2. Pre-teach

At the beginning of the session, the children are taught the new vocabulary.

3. Recap

The children have the opportunity to recap what has happened so far. This helps children to reconnect with the story, characters and key events before continuing with the text.

4. Read

The class read the text together. Each child is encouraged to point to each word as they read, modelling fluent reading for the children.

Each child has their own copy of the book, using their finger to track the words as they read. This supports accurate word recognition, reading fluency and helps children to maintain their focus on the text.

5. Summarise

At the end of each session, children work in pairs to summarise what they have read. This encourages them to recall key events and demonstrate their understanding of the text.

The summary is recorded and added to the book ‘map’, creating a clear record of the story so far. This is then used to support the recap at the beginning of the next reading session.