Reading Comprehension
Reading Comprehension
At the Nightingale Federation, we build a strong foundation for reading through the Read Write Inc. (RWI) systematic synthetic phonics programme, followed by the RWI Comprehension programme. Once children have mastered phonics, they progress to RWI Comprehension, where they focus on developing key reading comprehension skills as outlined in the National Curriculum’s reading content domains. These include retrieving information (Content Domain 2), making inferences (Content Domain 3), and predicting (Content Domain 4), all while reinforcing the decoding skills learned during phonics lessons. The RWI Comprehension programme ensures that pupils develop the skills necessary to understand and respond to texts, meeting the National Curriculum’s expectations at each stage.
Following the RWI Comprehension programme, children transition to our bespoke Reading Stars comprehension scheme. Reading Stars is a consistent and progressive approach that builds on the foundational skills gained in RWI. It further develops pupils' abilities in key reading areas, such as identifying the meaning of words in context (Content Domain 5), summarising information (Content Domain 6), and discussing author intent (Content Domain 7). This programme is designed to strengthen pupils' comprehension across a wide range of texts, enabling them to engage with and understand more complex material from various subjects.
Reading Stars is not only a progression in comprehension skills but also incorporates strong cross-curricular links, ensuring that pupils can apply their reading abilities across different areas of learning. This structured progression from phonics to comprehension ensures our pupils become confident, independent readers with a deep understanding of texts, fully meeting the expectations of the National Curriculum for reading.