In Year 2, children focus on developing fluency and confidence in reading, while also building their comprehension skills. They move from recognising words to decoding unfamiliar words automatically, reading common tricky words, and understanding the meaning of texts by discussing them and self-correcting when mistakes occur.

Children are also encouraged to develop a love for reading by exploring a wide range of stories and non-fiction texts, including books slightly beyond their independent reading level. By the end of the Autumn Term, we aim for children to have completed the RWI (Read Write Inc) programme and to confidently recognise all 44 graphemes taught in Year 1.

From this foundation, we focus on reading fluently, with correct expression, rhythm, and intonation (prosody). Fluency, reading speed, and comprehension are equally important, and children need to develop all three to reach the expected level. We also encourage them to develop inference and deduction skills, becoming “text detectives” who can uncover meaning beyond the words on the page.

To be considered working at a particular level, a child must meet every objective for that level and all the objectives from the previous levels. This ensures that they have built a solid understanding step by step before moving on to new skills.

Below, I have added links to short clips that show children reading at each of the three levels. Some children are incredibly fluent but struggle with the comprehension element of reading, while others can struggle decode and read the text but are very good at inferring and deducing information, for their age ~ reading is an incredibly complex area of the curriculum! 

The KS1 Reading Paper gives us a snapshot of your child’s reading skills. It checks not only whether they can read words correctly, but also whether they understand the text, can think about its meaning and can explain their ideas, quickly and independently. Although the reading paper is now optional, we use it alongside classroom work and teacher assessment to give a full and accurate picture of your child’s reading level.

We have attached a copy below to give an idea of how much text a child is expected to be able to read at the end of Year 2, highlighting the reading stamina they are expected to have.

Phonics Screening ~ Retakes

In Year 2, children who did not meet the expected standard in Year 1, have the opportunity to retake the phonics screening check in June. Throughout the year, we provide focused phonics support and practice to help children develop the skills they need. This includes daily phonics sessions, reading practice and targeted interventions to reinforce their knowledge of sounds, letters and tricky words. Our aim is to ensure that every child becomes confident and independent in decoding words, giving them a strong foundation for reading and writing in KS2.

Follow the link below to find out more about RWI, the systematic phonics scheme we follow here at Wolvey.