Reading at St Thomas of Canterbury

We want all of our children to leave St Thomas of Canterbury able to read accurately and confidently; reading is the key that unlocks learning across the curriculum. 

Below you will find information about how we teach early reading through our phonics scheme and  how reading at home works in Key Stage One. Children take home two books each week: a decodable book matched to the phonics sounds they already know and a free choice book, which an adult can share with them. 

Once children have mastered their phonics sounds, they move onto other levelled books, before the most confident readers move onto books selected from a exciting range of novels and non-fiction texts. Friends of St Thomas's Association (FOSTA) recently donated money to each class to refresh their selection of reading material. 

Children are encouraged to complete reading passports to ensure a wide range of text types are experienced. 

We also believe it is important to expose children to a wide range of books, both fiction and non-fiction, from different cultures, heritages and traditions. Here are some core texts that children will be exposed to in their time at St Thomas of Canterbury.