Intent:

The intent of the CUSP Reading curriculum is to provide a structured, evidence-based approach to reading instruction, ensuring that children develop both fluency and comprehension skills. By focusing on explicit vocabulary instruction, prosodic (fluent) reading, and opportunities for critical thinking, the curriculum aims to foster a love of reading and a deep understanding of a wide range of literature. The curriculum ensures that all children engage with rich, challenging texts that are carefully selected to promote both breadth and depth in their reading experiences. The inclusion of daily story time further enhances children’ engagement and positive attitudes toward reading, contributing to their overall development as skilled and confident readers.

Implementation:

CUSP Reading is delivered through a clear, progressive sequence that immerses children in texts with increasing complexity. Teachers follow a structured routine in every lesson, with specific strategies for vocabulary instruction, fluency, and reading comprehension. Key elements of the curriculum include:

• Explicit vocabulary instruction to build children’ word knowledge and language skills.
• Prosodic reading instruction that focuses on the rhythm, intonation, and expression of reading to support fluency.
• Opportunities to think hard through critical engagement with texts and reflective questioning.
• Daily story time sessions for all children, promoting positive attitudes to reading and ensuring that they are familiar with the texts studied in class.
• Fluency-focused lessons, where children rehearse and refine their reading, with an emphasis on self-regulation (e.g., re-reading for improvement).
• Routine and consistency in lesson structures, ensuring gradual progression in both text complexity and children’ response to texts.

Impact:

The impact of CUSP Reading is seen in children’ growing confidence and competence in reading. By systematically developing vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension, children will:

• Read with increasing fluency, using strategies like prosodic reading to enhance their understanding and enjoyment of texts.
• Develop strong comprehension skills, supported by explicit teaching of self-regulation techniques, allowing children to read more demanding texts independently.
• Experience a rich and diverse range of literature, enabling them to understand complex themes and ideas and appreciate a variety of literary forms.
• Cultivate a love for reading, fostered through daily story time and consistent exposure to high-quality literature.
• Show incremental progress across their primary journey, ensuring that each pupil is supported to read effectively every lesson, every day.

Phonics

In Reception (Early Years Foundation Stage EYFS) and Key Stage 1 (Year 1 and 2), children will read with an adult once a week on a one to one or small group basis (depending on their need). This is in addition to any whole class reading that will take place during the week.

We explicitly teach phonics decoding skills daily, using the synthetic phonics programme, Little Wandle Letters and Sounds. We understand that effective, evidence based reading instruction has five essential components: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. We therefore ensure that our pupils are given lots of opportunities to listen to and read a wide range of texts. 

Our daily phonics sessions are complimented by a literature-rich environment and by allowing our pupils to experience reading authentic literature and familiar materials in a variety of contexts across the curriculum.