Our Picture Book policy all about

READING

By Christ the Sower School

Ublished Otcober 2014

This is a story about a school that grew

from a story. It grew from a story that

Jesus told about sowing seeds in good

earth. So ever since the school became,

we have believed that everyone could

learn to read and that this would provide a

lifetime of enjoyment. We have faith in

the power of story to enrich, express and

create meaning from life. This is the story

of how we do it! Are you sitting

comfortably? Then let’s begin...

At our school we promise to develop a long lasting love and appreciation of reading

by or through…

Retelling stories we have read

Presenting book collections creatively with artefacts and dressing up clothes

Reading the very best books to children: beloved classics, old favourites and new

treasures!

Creating our own books and stories that we read to others

Creating comfortable reading areas

Teachers selecting the very best books to lead learning that will enthuse children

and match or develop their interests

Having copies of the books we study for each child to use in class

Special reading events such as snuggle up sleepovers in the library and book

breakfasts as well as reading competitions

A reading-related visitor to the school every year ( poet, author, theatre group)

Having books available in the story telling area in the playground

Always finishing books we start to read to a class!

Golden time reading activities

Guided reading circus in class includes free choice of reading for pleasure

Being reading buddies with children in other classes

Using class community circles to celebrate books and reading

Celebrating book weeks and book days in interesting ways.

Reading bedtime stories when we go on residential trips

...and any other good ideas we have!

Children will find reading more pleasurable if they are able to be effective

readers who:

Read accurately, fluently and with understanding and pleasure!

Understand and respond to the texts they read

Read, analyse and evaluate a wide range of texts

We teach children to learn to read so that they can read to learn and enjoy.

Learning to read

Learning to read is

like trying to crack

a code. As readers

we look for

different clues to

help us understand

what we are

reading. Learning

individual words is

important, but the

aim is to work out

the full message.

To support children

with individual

word reading we

have a structured

approach to

phonics. As a

Reading Recovery

school, we advocate

reading as a

problem solving

activity.

Library

1. The VISUAL information – ‘Does it look right?’ This involves

attention to letters, phonic rules and being able to blend phonemes into

words, to recognizing high frequency words at speed and to applying

what they know to something new e.g. getting from look to book and

cook etc. This is where strategic use of children’s phonic knowledge

makes a real difference

2. The MEANING of the text – ‘Does it make sense?’ This involves

making sense of the text, using prior knowledge about the

subject/story, and/or using the picture.

3. The STRUCTURE of the text – ‘Does it sound right?’ This

involves the ‘grammar’ of language or the way words fit together in

the English language e.g we don’t say ‘I runned down the road’ we say

‘I ran down the road.’

MEANING

Does that make

sense?

STRUCTURE

Does that

sound right?

VISUAL

Does that look

right? Effective

readers

use all

cues.

Welcome to our

Library

Our library will always be well stocked with a range of fiction, non-

fiction and poetry. The newest books, as well as old favourites, will

be easily accessible. There will be newspapers and magazines

available too. It is a bright and comfortable area which all children

visit at least once a week. Year 6 children apply to be librarians and

work with Mrs Phillips to make this a truly enjoyable place to be!

Children develop their skills in using the library but also celebrate

reading in its many forms. Often library lessons begin with an

opening poem, followed by a chance to share book recommendations,

choose new books and listen to a story. We finish with a few final

facts, chosen by children from our interesting and informative range

of non-fiction books. Library visits should be highlight of the week!

Our partnership with the SLS enriches our book stock and Mr Dorney

speaks passionately about books to groups and classes to children on

request.

Did you know...

all our theme learning is

centred around a fantastic

children’s text?

We’re going on a book hunt!

We’re going to find a good one!

So, we hope you will all join in

reading and enjoying books now,

and forevermore.

The End - almost...

What? You

don’t know

what to read?

Well, here are some of

our recommendations for

you to snuggle up with.

Beloved classics Old favourites New treasures

EL

P (

3-6 y

r o

lds)

Now we are six – A.A.Milne

Owl Babies –M. Waddell

The tiger who came to tea – J. Kerr

The Jolly Postman

A Ahlberg

Dogger – Shirley Hughes

We’re going on a bear hunt – Michael Rosen

Mr Gumpy’s outing – John Burningham

The hungry Caterpillar – Eric Carle

Green eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss

The Gruffalo – Julia Donaldson

Hairy MaClary –L.Dodd

Percy the park keeper – N. Butterworth

Mr Magnolia _ Q. Blake

Hnada’s surprise –E. Browne

Where the wild things are – M. Sendak

The owl who is afraid of the dark- J.

Tomlinson

Frog and Toad – A.Lobel

Vegetable glue –S. chandler

Who’s in the loo?- J. Willis

Billy’s bucket -K. gray

Norris, the bear who shared- C.Rayner

Monkey & me – E. Gravett

Who are you stripy horse? – J. Helmore

Do not enter the monster zoo – A. Sparkes

ML

P (

6-9 y

r o

lds)

The lion, the witch and the wardrobe –

C.S.Lewis

Wind in the willows-K.Graeme

The Beatrix Potter stories

Just so stories- R.Kipling

Charlie and the chocolate factory, Matilda

and the BFG by R.Dahl

Stig of the Dump- C.King

Paddington Bear – M. Bond

Shakespeare –Orchard classics series

Greek myths- M.Williams

Voices in the park – A.Browne

Diary of the killer cat – A.Fine

Faraway tree – E.Blyton

Worst witch – J.Murphy

Ice palace – R. Swindells

Horrid Henry – F. Simon

Mrs Pepperpot –A. Proysen

Clarice Bean, that’s me –L.Child

The butterfly Lion - M.Morpurgo

The firework marker’s daughter- P. Pullman

Watch out for sprouts – S. Bartram

Traction man meets turbo dog- M.Grey

The day I swapped my dad for two goldfish

– N. Gaiman

Lob –L. Newbury

The boy, the bear and the boat – D. Shelton

Little mouse’s big book of fears – E.

Gravett

Mr Stink – D. Walliams

Oliver and the seawigs- P.Reeve

The great galloon – T. Banks

Beloved classics Old favourites New treasures

UL

P (

9-11

yr o

lds)

Shakespeare- abridged versions

Tom’s midnight garden- P.Pearce

Five children and it- E.Nesbit

The owl service- A.Garener

Treasure Island –R.L. Stevenson

Goodnight Mister Tom- M.Magorian

R.Dahl – Danny the champion of the

world

Aesop’s fables- H. Ward

Iron woman –T. Hughes

A Christmas Carol- C. Dickens.

Wizard of earthsea - U.Leguin

Short!- K. Crossley Holland

Journey to river sea- E.Ibbotson

The ghost of Thomas Kempe – P.lively

Carrie’s war –N.Bawden

The chicken gave it to me –A.Fine

The Arrival –S.Tan

Gangsta Granny- D. Walliams

Journey to Jo’burg – B. Naidoo

Shadow- M.Morpurgo

Cloud busting – M.Blackman

Skellig- D.Almond

A monster calls –P.Ness

The invention of Hugo Carbret – B.

Selznick

There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom by

Louis Sachar

Jammy dodgers on the run –B.Sivers

Itch- S.Mayo

Adult

s

I am rushing to the

nearest library to find

one of these lovely

books. Do you want to

come too?

I might stop for a

marmalade sandwich

on the way...

Illustrations by

Eric Carle

Thomas Docherty

Tony Ross

Anthony Browne

Quentin Blake

Emily Gravett

Helen Oxenbury

Paige Keiser

R.W.Alley

I get really excited when I

get near the end of the

book. Sometimes I secretly

read under my covers just to

find out what will happen

next!

Add your comment here

Reading feeds pupils’

imaginations and opens up a

treasure house of wonder and joy

for curious young minds.

NC 2014

I can get completely lost in a good story

and I just want to read it all the time. I

have already read for 2 hours for the

competition!

Boy Y3 (previously reluctant reader)

Prebviusly reluctant redaer

Published October

2014

The teachers read stories well –

they make sound effects and

put on voices and we can join in

too.

Girl Y3

There are loads of great books

in this school....Yes, every book

here is really fun to read.

2 boys Y4