Reading in Key Stage Two
Intent
At our South Molton Community Primary School, we are committed to developing confident, fluent readers who read widely, think deeply, and take pleasure in books. Our reading curriculum is designed to build strong comprehension skills so that pupils can understand, interpret, and enjoy a broad range of texts. We prioritise fluency—ensuring children read with accuracy, appropriate pace, and expression—because fluent reading enables pupils to focus on meaning rather than decoding. Alongside this, we foster a culture of reading for pleasure by sharing high quality literature, offering rich reading experiences, and encouraging children to explore their own reading interests. By nurturing both skill and enjoyment, we aim to equip our pupils with the reading proficiency, curiosity, and confidence they need to succeed across the curriculum and develop a lifelong love of reading.
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Implementation
In EYFS and KS1, reading is taught through the systematic Little Wandle Letters and Sounds programme, ensuring pupils develop strong phonics knowledge and early reading skills. As children move into Year 2, teaching shifts towards developing retrieval, vocabulary and inference skills to prepare them effectively for the KS1 SATs. Further information can be found here on our Early Reading and Phonics page.
From Year 2 and throughout KS2, we use Literacy Shed Plus to provide high quality, engaging texts that expose pupils to a rich variety of genres, themes and vocabulary, supporting both comprehension and wider language development. This aligns with guidance in the 2025 Writing Framework, which highlights the close relationship between reading and writing and the importance of strong language knowledge in supporting pupils’ ability to understand and respond to texts effectively. Lessons follow a consistent sequence and format throughout KS2 to ensure clarity, routine and progression, enabling pupils to develop key reading strategies such as retrieving information, inferring meaning, analysing vocabulary and evaluating an author’s choices. By building reading fluency and comprehension systematically, we equip pupils with the skills needed to access the full curriculum and transition successfully into the demands of Key Stage 3.
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Impact
​As a result of our carefully structured reading curriculum, pupils develop strong comprehension skills that enable them to understand, interpret, and respond confidently to a wide range of texts. They read with increasing fluency—demonstrating accuracy, pace, and expression—which allows them to focus on meaning and engage more deeply with what they read. Our commitment to fostering reading for pleasure ensures that pupils not only become skilled readers but also develop positive lifelong reading habits. By the time they leave our school, pupils are able to apply their reading skills independently across the curriculum, articulate their ideas with clarity, and show enthusiasm and curiosity as readers. This secure foundation equips them for the demands of Key Stage 3 and supports their continued academic success and personal growth.
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