Year 4 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 three genres:

• Stories with fantasy settings
• Explanations
• Film and play scripts

During the first unit in Year Four the children listen to, read and discuss a range of explanation texts. They are taught to analyse and evaluate texts by looking at language, structure and presentation and how specific information is organised. Building on their knowledge from Year Three, children begin to explain how paragraphs are used to order an explanation text and by the end of the unit, children are able to orally retell an explanation.

During the fiction unit, children regularly listen to whole novels read aloud by the teacher. They use prefixes to understand meanings and explore the meaning of key vocabulary within the context of the text. When discussing vocabulary, children are taught to identify, discuss and collect effective words and phrases which capture the reader’s interest and imagination and use dictionaries to check meanings of words in the texts that they read. Building on their knowledge gained in Year Three, children make predictions based on information stated and implied and begin to demonstrate active reading strategies e.g. generating questions, finding answers, refining thinking, modifying questions and constructing images. Inference is also built upon at this stage as the children draw inferences around characters’ thoughts, feelings, actions and motives. These are justified with evidence from the text using point and evidence. Children also make and respond to contributions in a variety of group situations.

As the children approach the end of the first half of the Autumn term, they listen to, read and discuss a range of plays at an age-appropriate interest level. They analyse and evaluate texts looking at language, structure and presentation and how these contribute to meaning. When children aloud, children are taught to use punctuation to determine intonation and expression to a range of audiences and draw inferences around characters’ thoughts, feelings, actions and motives. By the end of the unit, children prepare play scripts to read aloud, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action.

Autumn 2

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

• Fairy tales
• Classic poetry
• Recount: newspapers

During the first unit, children listen to, read and discuss a range of fairy tales. They explore the meaning of key vocabulary within the context of a text and use dictionaries to check meaning of words in the texts they read. They also begin to independently identify and discuss effective words and phrases which capture the reader’s interest and imagination.

Active reading strategies are demonstrated in this unit alongside making predictions based on information stated and implied and drawing inferences around characters’ thoughts, feelings, actions and motives. All responses to texts read in Year Four are justified using the PE prompt (point and evidence). New learning is introduced at this stage where the children are taught to identify, analyse and discuss themes e.g. safe and dangerous, just and unjust.

During the poetry unit, children listen to, read and discuss a classic narrative poem. They explain the meaning of key vocabulary within the context of the text and identify, discuss and collect effective words and phrases which capture the reader’s interest and imagination. By the end of this unit, children prepare a poem to read aloud, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action.

During the final unit of the Autumn term, children read books and texts for a range of purposes and respond in a variety of ways. They listen to, read and discuss a range of newspapers in print and on screen and demonstrate active reading strategies such as generating questions and finding answers. Children are taught to navigate texts to locate and retrieve information and to record information from a range of non-fiction texts. Building on their knowledge of paragraphs, children can explain how paragraphs are used to order ideas and explain how they are linked.

Spring 1

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

• Stories with issues and dilemmas
• Persuasion

During the first unit of the Spring term, children listen to, read and discuss a range of fiction and poetry in different forms. They explain the meaning of key vocabulary within the context of the text and identify, discuss and collect effective words and phrases which capture the reader’s interest and imagination. Children continue to build on the reading skills seen in the content domains by making predictions based on information stated and implied and drawing inferences around characters’ thoughts, feelings actions and motives. All answers are justified with evidence from the text using point and evidence. At this stage in the year, a strong emphasis is also placed on analysing and evaluating texts looking at language, structure and presentation and how these contribute to meaning. New learning is introduced in this unit where the children are taught to identify main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph and summarising these e.g. a character is evil because…

During the persuasion unit, children begin by learning to use suffixes to understand meanings. They listen to, read and discuss a range of persuasion texts in different forms and justify responses to the text using the PE prompt (Point and Evidence). Children are taught to analyse and evaluate how specific information is organised within a persuasive text and learn to navigate texts e.g using contents and index pages, in order to locate and retrieve information in print and on screen.

Spring 2

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

• Novels as a theme
• Non-chronological reports

During the first unit, children listen to, read and discuss a range of fiction. They explain the meaning of key vocabulary within the context of the text and identify, discuss and collect effective words and phrases which capture the reader’s interest and imagination. Children continue to build on the reading skills seen in the content domains by making predictions based on information stated and implied and drawing inferences around characters’ thoughts, feelings actions and motives. All answers are justified with evidence from the text using point and evidence. At this stage in the year, a strong emphasis is also placed on analysing and evaluating texts looking at language, structure and presentation and how these contribute to meaning. New learning is introduced in this unit where the children are taught use punctuation to determine intonation and expression when reading aloud to a range of audiences.

During the non-fiction unit, children listen to, read and discuss a range of non-fiction in different forms e.g. advertisements, formal speeches, leaflets, magazines and electronic texts. They learn to navigate texts e.g. using contents and index pages, in order to locate and retrieve information in print and on screen and are taught to scan for dates, numbers and names. Whilst reading, children demonstrate active reading strategies and show an awareness of main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph by summarising. Children are also taught to analyse and evaluate how specific information is organised within a non-fiction text and how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning.

Summer 1

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

• Stories with a theme
• Poems with a structure
• Information booklets

During the first unit, children listen to, read and discuss a range of fiction. They explain the meaning of key vocabulary within the context of the text and identify, discuss and collect effective words and phrases which capture the reader’s interest and imagination. Children continue to build on the reading skills seen in the content domains by making predictions based on information stated and implied and drawing inferences around characters’ thoughts, feelings, actions and motives. All answers are justified with evidence from the text using point and evidence. At this stage in the year, a strong emphasis is also placed on analysing and evaluating texts looking at language, structure and presentation and how these contribute to meaning. Children also continue to use punctuation to determine intonation and expression when reading aloud to a range of audiences.

During the poetry unit, children listen to, read and discuss a range of poetry in different forms. They explain the meaning of key vocabulary within the context of the text and identify, discuss and collect effective words and phrases which capture the reader’s interest and imagination. New learning is introduced at this stage where the children learn to use suffixes to understand meanings e.g. –ation, -tion, -cian, -sion. By the end of this unit, children prepare a poem to read aloud, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action.

During the non-fiction unit, children listen to, read and discuss a range of non-fiction, fiction, poetry and plays. They learn to navigate texts e.g. using contents and index pages, in order to locate and retrieve information in print and on screen and are taught to scan for dates, numbers and names. Whilst reading, children demonstrate active reading strategies and show an awareness of main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph by summarising. Children are also taught to analyse and evaluate how specific information is organised within a non-fiction text and how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning.

Summer 2

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

• Folk tales
• Debate
• Poems on a theme

During the first unit, children listen to, read and discuss a range of fiction. They explain the meaning of key vocabulary within the context of the text and identify, discuss and collect effective words and phrases which capture the reader’s interest and imagination. Children continue to build on the reading skills seen in the content domains by making predictions based on information stated and implied and drawing inferences around characters’ thoughts, feelings, actions and motives. All answers are justified with evidence from the text using point and evidence. At this stage in the year, a strong emphasis is also placed on analysing and evaluating texts looking at language, structure and presentation and how these contribute to meaning. Children also continue to use punctuation to determine intonation and expression when reading aloud to a range of audiences.

During the poetry unit, children listen to, read and discuss a range of poetry in different forms. They explain the meaning of key vocabulary within the context of the text and identify, discuss and collect effective words and phrases which capture the reader’s interest and imagination. New learning is introduced at this stage where the children learn to use suffixes to understand meanings e.g. –ation, -tion, -cian, -sion. By the end of this unit, children prepare a poem to read aloud, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume and action.

During the non-fiction unit, children listen to, read and discuss a range of non-fiction, fiction, poetry and plays. They learn to navigate texts e.g. using contents and index pages, in order to locate and retrieve information in print and on screen and are taught to scan for dates, numbers and names. Whilst reading, children demonstrate active reading strategies and show an awareness of main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph by summarising. Children are also taught to analyse and evaluate how specific information is organised within a non-fiction text and how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning.