Reading 
Reading at The Beacon
At The Beacon, we foster a rich and inclusive reading culture that supports every learner’s journey from early phonics to lifelong reading for pleasure. Our approach is multi-faceted and tailored to meet the diverse needs of our pupils.
Little Wandle Letters and Sounds is the cornerstone of our early reading provision. Through systematic phonics instruction, children develop the foundational skills needed to decode and comprehend texts confidently.
As pupils progress and graduate from phase 5 of Little Wandle, we use Accelerated Reader to encourage independent reading and monitor comprehension. This tool helps us match students with books that are both accessible and challenging, promoting growth and engagement.
Once children graduate from Accelerated Reader, with a reading age of 11+, they become free readers and have the opportunity to become a Beacon Reading Ambassador. This is a very important role in the school community, promoting reading across the school at all ages and supplying book reviews and reading stories.
We also embed functional reading across the curriculum, ensuring pupils can apply their reading skills in real-world contexts—whether interpreting instructions, reading timetables, or navigating digital texts.
Our weekly DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) time provides a dedicated space for quiet, focu
sed reading, reinforcing the value of reading as a regular and enjoyable habit.
Above all, we champion reading for pleasure. Our classrooms and libraries are stocked with diverse, high-quality texts, and we celebrate reading through events, author visits, and book clubs. We believe that fostering a love of reading opens doors to imagination, empathy, and lifelong learning.
reading diagram october 2025 final.pdf
Phonics