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Arden Primary School

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At Arden Primary School, reading is at the heart of all we do. Reading is a fundamental skill that not only enriches children's lives but also empowers them to navigate the complexities of the world around them. By teaching children to read fluently and with confidence, and to comprehend and communicate their ideas and opinions to others, they are given a voice in the world.

Fluency in reading enables children to have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually. Books are interlinked with our curriculum and used as stimuli for writing, and engaging, thought-provoking books are enjoyed in our whole class reading lessons, at story time, and for children to read in our class libraries.

We choose books with care to make sure children are exposed to a variety of different text structures and authorial styles, are inspired by ambitious vocabulary and expand their mind through reading about diverse characters and settings. Fantastic new books are being written all the time: thus, our offer is ever-evolving.

We seek to go further with reading: for children not just to attain well in reading during their time with us, but to leave Arden with a love of reading that will support them in their future endeavours and ensure they are well prepared for life in all its fullness beyond our school.

Reading is a skill that, as adults, we can take for granted. Yet it remains absolutely essential for navigating life successfully. As children progress through school, being a confident and proficient reader is vital. Not only does it empower them to acquire new knowledge and achieve, but it also introduces them to a whole new world of ideas, narratives, and opportunities. As the National Curriculum states, ‘Fluency in the English language is an essential foundation for success in all subjects’.

Through studying literature, pupils’ eyes are opened to the human experience; they explore meaning and ambiguity as well as the beauty and power of language. Extensive research confirms that children who read for pleasure tend to achieve greater success later in life. At Arden, every decision related to reading is grounded in thorough research, ensuring that we remain well-informed and up-to-date with pedagogical approaches to the teaching of reading.

We are wholeheartedly committed to nurturing independent and fluent readers throughout their time at Arden. We aspire for our students to derive as much joy from books as we do!

You will hear our staff talk about the importance of children reading fluently. There is a wealth of evidence which highlights the important role fluency plays in pupils’ reading development.

The word ‘fluency’ comes from the Latin word ‘fluentem’ meaning ‘to flow’.

Reading fluency is defined as:
- reading with accuracy (reading words correctly)
- automaticity (reading words at an appropriate speed without great effort)
- prosody (appropriate stress and intonation)
(Green, 2021).

Fluency is a skill that needs to be taught and requires all of the building blocks of reading in order to achieve it.

Fluent readers recognise words automatically, without struggling over decoding issues ('sounding out'). When reading silently, as well as recognising words automatically, fluent readers group words together more quickly and gain meaning from their reading, which helps their understanding of the text. When reading out loud, fluent readers sound natural, as if they’re speaking. Non-fluent readers read slowly and sound choppy.

These are skills that we as adults don't even notice we're doing - like now, as you're reading this!