Year 3 Rationale

Whole class reading is placed very highly as part of the reading curriculum at St Michael with St John as it is where the explicit teaching of reading takes place. Whole class reading across school takes place at 1.00pm to 1.25pm in all classes and is led by the class teacher. Each year group has an overview mapping out carefully selected texts for the year. There is one text type allocated per week, which follows a cycle of fiction – nonfiction – poetry.

Each day has a focus on a different reading domain and the teaching sequence is as follows:

Monday- Vocabulary and Prediction

Tuesday- Sequencing (KS1) Summarising (KS2)

Wednesday- Retrieval

Thursday- Inference

Friday- Explanation

Autumn 1

Alongside our whole class reading sessions we also teach reading through our English units. During the first half of the Autumn term the children practise their reading skills through two genres:

• Folk tales
• Recounts: Biographies

During the first half of the Autumn term children look closely at folk tales. They listen to and discuss a range of fiction and orally retell a range of stories, including less familiar folk tales. Children are also taught to identify and discuss themes and conventions and to use prefixes to understand meanings. During the reading process, children are encouraged to deepen their understanding through raising questions such as I wonder why the character….

During the non-fiction unit, children listen to, discuss and read a range of biographies. They prepare for research by identifying what is already known about the subject and key questions to structure the task, they raise questions during the reading process to deepen understanding and justify responses to texts using the PE prompt (Point + Evidence). Children at this stage are introduced to paragraphs where they discuss the purpose and identify a key idea within. They also evaluate how specific information is organised within a non-fiction text e.g. text boxes, sub-headings, contents, bullet points, glossary, diagrams.

Autumn 2

During the second half of the Autumn term the children practise their reading skills through three genres:

• Fables
• Poems with a structure
• Persuasion

During the second half of the Autumn term children look closely at fables. They are taught to identify and discuss themes and conventions and to use prefixes to understand meanings. Building on their knowledge gained in Year Two, children make predictions based on details stated and draw inferences around characters’ thoughts, feelings and actions, justifying with evidence from the text. During the reading process, children are encouraged to orally re-tell a range of fables and to take note of punctuation, when reading aloud. After reading, children can discuss their understanding of the text, making reference to the themes e.g. weak and strong, wise and foolish.

During the poetry unit, children are taught to listen to and discuss a range of poems with a structure. They develop the ability to recognise some different forms of poetry and can discuss their understanding of poems read by analysing and evaluating poems, looking at language, structure and presentation. Children are also taught to identify, discuss and collect favourite words and phrases which capture the reader’s interest. At the end of this unit, children prepare poems to read aloud, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action.

During the non-fiction unit, children listen to, discuss and read a range of letters including persuasive letters. They continue to explore the use of paragraphs where they discuss the purpose and identify a key idea within and begin to analyse and evaluate letters by looking at language, structure and presentation. After reading, children are able to discuss their understanding of the text and can evaluate how specific information is organised within a persuasive letter.

Spring 1

During the first half of the Spring term the children practise their reading skills through three genres:

• Stories on a theme
• Poems on a theme
• Discussion

During the first half of the Spring term children look closely at stories on a theme. They are taught to explain the meaning of unfamiliar words by using the context and to use dictionaries to check meanings of words they have read. Building on their knowledge gained in the Autumn term, children draw inferences around characters’ thoughts, feelings and actions, justifying with evidence from the text and use point and evidence to structure and justify responses. During the reading process, children are encouraged to raise questions to deepen understanding and to make and respond to contributions in a variety of group situations.

During the poetry unit, children are taught to use their knowledge of root words to understand meanings of words. They read poems for a range of purposes and begin to recognise some different forms of poetry. They develop the ability to recognise some different forms of poetry and can discuss their understanding of poems read by analysing and evaluating poems, looking at language, structure and presentation. Children are also taught to identify, discuss and collect favourite words and phrases which capture the reader’s interest. At the end of this unit, children prepare poems to read aloud, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action.

During the non-fiction unit, children read discussion texts and books for a range of purposes. They are taught to explain the meaning of unfamiliar words by using the context and can discuss their understanding of a text after reading. Children continue to explore the use of paragraphs where they discuss the purpose and identify a key idea within and begin to analyse and evaluate texts by looking at language, structure and presentation. After reading, children are able to discuss their understanding of the text and can evaluate how specific information is organised within a persuasive letter.

Spring 2

During the second half of the Spring term the children practise their reading skills through two genres:

• Novels on a theme
• Recounts: diaries

Children begin the second half of the Spring term by listening to and discussing a range of fiction. They regularly listen to whole novels read aloud by the teacher and when reading independently, are encouraged to use intonation, tone and volume. When unfamiliar vocabulary arises when reading, children are taught to explain the meaning of unfamiliar words by using the context and can also draw upon their knowledge of root words to understand the meanings of words. As their reading develops throughout the unit, children also learn to identify, discuss and collect favourite words and phrases which capture the reader’s interest and imagination.

During the reading process, children raise questions to deepen their understanding and build upon their ability to draw inferences around character’s thoughts, feelings and actions. This is always involving a justification with evidence from the text. When working collaboratively, children make and respond to contributions in a variety of group situations e.g. whole class, pairs, guided groups, book circles.

During the second unit surrounding diary entries, children listen to, discuss and read a range of recounts: diaries. They are taught to discuss their understanding of the text and to make predictions on details stated. Children are encouraged to use point and evidence to structure and justify responses and to demonstrate this when drawing inferences around character’s thoughts, feeling and actions. As children progress towards the Summer term, they begin to analyse and evaluate texts looking at language, structure and presentation with increasing independence.

Summer 1

During the first half of the Summer term the children practise their reading skills through two genres:

• Playscripts
• Non-chronological reports

Children begin the second half of the Spring term by listening to and discussing a range of playscripts. They regularly listen to whole novels read aloud by the teacher and when reading independently, are encouraged to use intonation, tone and volume. When unfamiliar vocabulary arises when reading, children are taught to explain the meaning of unfamiliar words by using the context and can also draw upon their knowledge of root words to understand the meanings of words. As their reading develops throughout the unit, children also learn to identify, discuss and collect favourite words and phrases which capture the reader's interest and imagination. 

During the reading process, children raise questions to deepen their understanding and build upon their ability to draw inferences around character’s thoughts, feelings and actions. This is always involving a justification with evidence from the text. When working collaboratively, children make and respond to contributions in a variety of group situations e.g. whole class, pairs, guided groups, book circles. 

By the end of this unit, children prepare play scripts to read aloud showing an understanding through intonation, tone and volume.

During the non-chronological reports unit, children listen to, discuss and read a range texts for a range of purposes. They prepare for research by identifying what is already known about the subject and key questions to structure the task, they raise questions during the reading process to deepen understanding and justify responses to texts using the PE prompt (Point + Evidence). Children at this stage are building on their knowledge of paragraphs where they discuss the purpose and identify a key idea within. They also evaluate how specific information is organised within a non-fiction text e.g. text boxes, sub-headings, contents, bullet points, glossary, diagrams.

New learning introduced at this stage in order to prepare the children for Year Four. They learn to use suffixes to understand meanings e.g. –ly,–ous and to analyse and evaluate texts looking at language, structure and presentation.  After reading, children are taught to discuss their understanding of the text, record information, and to quickly appraise a text to evaluate usefulness.

Summer 2

During the second half of the Summer term the children practise their reading skills through three genres:

• Classic poetry
• Mystery/ adventure/ fantasy stories
• Explanations

During the poetry unit, children are taught to listen to and discuss a range of classic poetry. They develop the ability to recognise some different forms of poetry and can discuss their understanding of poems read by analysing and evaluating poems, looking at language, structure and presentation. Children are also taught to identify, discuss and collect favourite words and phrases which capture the reader’s interest. At the end of this unit, children prepare poems to read aloud, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action.

During the second unit, children listen to, read and discuss a range of fiction and poetry. They are taught to explain the meaning of unfamiliar words by using the context and to use dictionaries to check meanings of words they have read. Building on their knowledge gained across the year, children draw inferences around characters’ thoughts, feelings and actions, justifying with evidence from the text and use point and evidence to structure and justify responses. During the reading process, children are encouraged to raise questions to deepen understanding and to make and respond to contributions in a variety of group situations. 

During the non-fiction unit, children read a range of non-fiction texts e.g. explanation texts. They are taught to explain the meaning of unfamiliar words by using the context and can discuss their understanding of a text after reading. Children also continue to explore the use of paragraphs where they discuss the purpose and identify a key idea within and begin to analyse and evaluate texts by looking at language structure and presentation. After reading, children are able to discuss their understanding of the text and can evaluate how specific information is organised within a non-fiction text.