Year 1

We continue to develop a love of reading in Year 1 by surrounding ourselves with stories; they help us with our writing, our social skills, our foundation subject learning and learning about the world, along with many other things.

We practice learning how to read through daily phonics sessions, where we blend and segment sounds and begin to recognise alternative sounds. In Year 1 we look at decoding real words and non-sense words and show off our skills with the end of year phonics test. Our parents and grownups at home also help us learn how to read.  

We are given lots of opportunities to read and enjoy stories. We love our daily ERIC sessions (Everybody Reading In Class) and our story sessions when a grown up reads to us.

We develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by: Listening to and discussing a wide range of poems, stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which we can read independently. Becoming very familiar with key stories, fairy stories and traditional tales, retelling them and considering their particular characteristics. Learning to appreciate rhymes and poems, and to recite some by heart. Our reading also helps our writing as we begin to form short narratives.

We know that reading is the gateway to our learning.

What do Year 1 children think about reading?

“Reading is good because we learn lots of new things we did not know before”

“when we do phonics we can read more books”

“I like reading and I want to help my baby get better at reading”

“In Year 1 Miss Walker read Fantastic Mr Fox to us. It had chapters and we read it for a long time. I love that story.”

“My mum helps me to read at home and I can read books to her too”.