At Widden Primary School, we recognise the fundamental importance of English teaching and learning and strive for excellence in all aspects of English. Our aim is simple: to ensure that our pupils leave us able to read, write and communicate in a manner that means they will be able to enjoy and make the very most of their future opportunities as learners in any curriculum area. We believe that children learn best when they are engaged, safe, comfortable and happy and as such we intend to ensure that their English skills are never a barrier to their achievements and successes throughout their learning journey.

Types of reading at Widden

FASE reading is a structured, shared oral reading technique used in classrooms to improve students' reading fluency, comprehension and engagement. It is an upgraded, highly interactive alternative to traditional round-robin or 'popcorn' reading, where the acronym FASE stands for: fluent, attentive, social and expressive. At Widden we use FASE to ensure all students spend time developing their fluency and comprehension. 

The FASE framework

- Fluent: students practice decoding and phrasing at a pace that builds skill and confidence, supported by immediate feedback. 

- Attentive: Because the teacher calls on students in quick, unpredictable bursts, everyone must follow along closely with their eyes on the text. 

- ​​​​Social: Reading becomes a communal experience where the whole class shares the narrative, with opportunities to listen, support, and collaborate. 

- Expressive: Students use tone, emphasis, and appropriate pacing (prosody) to convey the meaning and emotion of the text, often after the teacher models it. 

How It Works in the Widden Classroom

1. Paired reading: Partner 1 and 2 take turns to read a sentence or paragraph fluently and with prosody

2. Teacher Coaching: The teacher listens actively. When a student mispronounces a word, reads too fast, or lacks expression, the teacher briefly corrects them, models the correct reading, and has the student try again. 

3. Echo and Choral Reading: To build expression, the teacher might read a sentence and have the student echo it back, adopting the same tone.

AIR reading

AIR stands for Accountable Independent Reading. Developed by Doug Lemov and his colleagues in Reading Reconsidered (and expanded in The Teach Like a Champion Guide to the Science of Reading), it is a structured approach to independent silent reading designed to ensure students actually focus and comprehend what they are reading.

AIR is built on the premise that sustained silent reading shouldn't just be quiet time without accountability. To make it effective, Lemov emphasizes the following core principles:

• Active Accountability: Students are held responsible for processing the text through structured follow-up tasks, such as directed annotation (using hard-copy books), answering planned focus questions, or completing a "stop and jot". 

• Building Sustained Attention: In an era of digital distraction, AIR intentionally trains students' attention spans by creating a high-text, low-tech reading environment. 

• Scaffolding Volume: Teachers start with smaller amounts of text or shorter time limits, gradually increasing the duration as students build the stamina to read independently without losing focus.