WE ARE A READING SCHOOL!

At Gawber Primary School, reading is at the heart of our whole curriculum. It is our intention that every child will be a reader! We understand how important it is that children are able to read so that they can access every stage of their education. Our intention is that every child not only loves reading, but knows how to read for different areas of the curriculum so that they move to the next stage of their education able to read for different subjects and eventually use this knowledge to enter the world of work, achieving the careers that they dream of. 

From the very start of their journey with us, all of our children are encouraged to develop a love of reading. They are exposed to high quality texts and through a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics, they are provided with the skills they need to decode confidently. Children who read regularly or are read to regularly have the opportunity to open the doors to so many different worlds!  More importantly, reading will give our children the tools to become independent life-long learners.

To ensure our children become accurate and automatic readers, we follow Read Write Inc, which is a validated systematic and synthetic phonics scheme. Reading books are closely matched to the graphemes taught and these 'decodable' books are also sent home for children to practise until they become fluent.

Children are introduced to high quality texts across the curriculum. At Gawber, we recognise the importance of reading for different purposes and by the time children leave Gawber, we aim for our children to be able to read effectively for the different subjects they encounter in the next stages of their education. 

Children at Gawber love to hear a book being read aloud. Whether that is by an adult or another child, listening and loving books is a major part of Gawber life! 

Language Comprehension

At Gawber, we have a focus on language comprehension through age appropriate, engaging texts chosen carefully by our expert staff. During their time at Gawber, children become increasingly confident in comprehending different texts in order to access all areas of the curriculum. At Gawber, we know how important the understanding of reading for purpose is. Children at Gawber learn how to read and write for different subjects, audiences and purposes. 

Ways in which to comprehend texts are taught explicitly in reading sessions and applied across the curriculum. We encourage our children activate their prior knowledge when reading, knowing that in order for children to make sense of what they are reading, they must first become familiar with their existing knowledge, drawing on this and making links to the wider world. 

Gawber promotes reading in all areas of the curriculum, knowing that in order to fully access our carefully planned broad and balanced curriculum, they must be able to fluently read and comprehend. 

Our School Book -

The Primary School Giraffe 

Have you bought a copy of our school's story book? 'The Primary School Giraffe' is a story about our school mascot, Jeffrika the giraffe. He goes on a magical journey back in time to visit Gawber School of the past and finds out all about why Gawber is such a special place to be. Follow the link below to buy your copy! 

Our deputy headteacher and reading leader, Miss Knox, wrote 'The Primary School Giraffe.'

You can read all about the creation of the book on this blog from Young Writers - a company that our children have worked with to have their own stories about Jeffrika published. 

Our non- fiction book 

As well as story books, our school mascot (Jeffrika the giraffe) also stars in some non-fiction books about Gawber School. Children at Gawber are encouraged to use these books to assist in other areas of learning. For example, Jeffrika's Gawber History Book compliments our Geography and History curriculum. 

POETRY 

At Gawber, we have a core set of poems and poets for each year group. Children hear and enjoy poetry every day. Using Pie Corbett's poetry spine, our children develop a love for language through their consistent exposure to different types of poems - those that elicit a strong response, that withstand repetition and extend vocabulary in all areas of the curriculum. 

GAWBER READING LEADERS 

Our Gawber Reading Leaders are responsible for promoting a love of reading at our school. They take care of our books that are in school and in our playground. They read with other children in school and help to celebrate the achievements of our reading stars. Sometimes, the Reading Leaders help Miss Knox to edit and proof read her books! 

If you'd like to know more about our Reading Leaders, please follow the link below which will take you to the Reading Leader page on our website. 

READING STARS! 

We celebrate reading at Gawber. Our reading stars are presented with certificates each week and enjoy a story and a sweet treat in our luxury READING LOUNGE!