Reading at CJS

At CJS, reading is at the heart of everything we do. Children take part in three whole-class reading lessons each week, lasting around 45 minutes. Each week’s sessions are linked by a shared theme, helping children deepen their understanding and enjoyment of what they read.

In addition, children have daily English lessons (50–60 minutes) in mixed-ability classes. This ensures equal opportunities, appropriate challenge, and high expectations for every child. We never place limits on what any child can achieve.

Reading Across the Curriculum

Reading skills are developed across all areas of learning.

• Children practise comprehension through research, active learning, film, and information-gathering activities.

• They read a wide range of texts that link to their topics, encouraging curiosity and a love of learning.

• Texts are carefully chosen for each year group to match the curriculum and provide suitable challenge.

Class Novels

Every class enjoys being read to by their teacher for at least 15 minutes, three times a week. Listening to a class novel helps children experience rich, engaging language and stories they might not read independently.

• Teachers choose high-quality, challenging texts that inspire discussion and imagination.

• The teacher reads aloud to model fluent, expressive reading and deepen understanding.

• Quick quizzes and recap questions help children recall key details and make connections as the story unfolds.

• A suggested book list for each year group supports variety, progression, and challenge from Year 3 to Year 6.

How We Teach Reading

Our reading lessons focus on developing key comprehension skills using VIPERS:
Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation, Retrieval, and Summary.

Children are taught to think critically about texts, explore the author’s choices, and explain their ideas clearly. We encourage them to use strategies such as APE (Answer, Prove, Explain) and ABC (Agree, Build, Challenge) to support thoughtful discussion and strong oracy skills.

Whole Class Reading

During whole-class reading, all children have the chance to read aloud and engage with the text together. Teachers model tone, pace, and expression, while children practise reading confidently and fluently. These sessions build understanding, confidence, and a shared love of reading within the class community.