Reading and Reading for pleasure
Vipers
1:1 and whole-class reading comprehension is supported using the VIPERS approach. VIPERS is an acronym to aid the recall of the 6 reading domains as part of the UK’s reading curriculum. They are the key areas which we feel children need to know and understand in order to improve their comprehension of texts. VIPERS stands for:
- Vocabulary
- Inference
- Prediction
- Explanation
- Retrieval
- Sequence or Summarise
The 6 domains focus on the comprehension aspect of reading and not the mechanics: decoding, fluency, prosody etc. As such, VIPERS is not a reading scheme but rather a method of ensuring that teachers ask, and students are familiar with, a range of questions. They allow the teacher to track the type of questions asked and the children’s responses to these, which allows for targeted questioning afterwards.
Pupils working on the EYFS curriculum/with speech and language difficulties' focus on Blank’s level questioning prior to moving onto the VIPERS.
At Hayfield School, children are encouraged to develop a love of reading through regular access to books in their individual classroom libraries. These libraries offer a range of texts that children can explore independently or with adult support. In addition, children listen to staff read aloud several times each week as part of our commitment to reading for pleasure, allowing them to enjoy stories, develop listening skills, and engage with rich language.
Children who are accessing Read Write Inc (RWI) Phonics read RWI Book Bag Books so that they can access texts closely matched to their phonics ability, enabling them to practise and apply their decoding skills with confidence. We also use the Oxford Owl e-book library, allowing children to access a wide range of books online both in school and at home.
In addition, children participate in home reading, supporting the development of reading skills and encouraging positive reading habits beyond the school environment through shared reading with families and carers.
