When learning to read, children need to learn a variety of skills which they need to weave together over time to become confident and fluent readers.

Literacy researcher Hollis Scarborough created a metaphor for explaining the complex processes involved in reading. She described reading by comparing it to the “strands of a rope.” This visually shows the rope’s different parts and how they work together when one is reading. All of the components, or “strands,” together form what Scarborough calls “skilled reading.” Skilled reading happens when students are able to read text fluently while simultaneously comprehending it. In other words, the different parts of the rope work in tandem when a person is able to accurately and automatically read a text and understand it fully. There are two main strands, Language Comprehension and Word Recognition, that are woven together. 

Our approach to reading at Blackhorse...

Intent (what we aim to achieve):

A Champion Reader at Blackhorse uses and develops their phonological knowledge to read words with increased fluency. They have good understanding of texts they read and take an active approach to reading. They are able to visualise, ask questions, repair any break down of meaning and use different strategies to infer.

Implementation (what we are focusing on improving most this year):

At Blackhorse the focus of being a reader this year is to investigate new vocabulary to aid understanding of a variety of texts. Children will be able to name the skills used in VIPERS to clarify meaning of a text.

Impact (how we will know we've been successful):

Through analysing assessment data, hearing children read and discussing their understanding with them; we will know that they have a clear understanding of the different types of (VIPERS) questions asked of them, and have a firm grasp on vocabulary.

Click on the pages below to discover how we teach each element of reading at Blackhorse, and how you can help your child at home.