Reading Curriculum

At Summerhill Primary Academy, we believe that reading is the gateway to learning. It is the foundation upon which all other learning is built, shaping children into confident, articulate, and curious learners who can engage deeply with the world.

Our reading curriculum is designed around the CUSP (Curriculum with Unity Schools Partnership) framework, an evidence-informed model that ensures all pupils develop:

📖 Fluency and Prosodic Reading – The ability to read accurately, at an appropriate speed, with phrasing and expression.

📖 Explicit Vocabulary Knowledge – Systematic instruction in rich and sophisticated language.

📖 Comprehension and Critical Thinking – The ability to infer, summarise, analyse authorial intent, and make connections across texts and themes.

📖 A Love of Literature – A deep, meaningful relationship with books that fosters lifelong reading habits.

Our ambition is that every child leaves Summerhill as a confident, fluent reader, able to access the breadth of the curriculum, secondary school, and the wider world.

A Carefully Structured and Knowledge-Rich Reading Curriculum

The CUSP Reading Curriculum is a highly sequenced, evidence-based approach that ensures reading is explicitly taught, practised, and embedded at every stage of a child’s education.

Key Principles of the CUSP Reading Model

✅ A Core Literature Spine – High-quality texts, carefully sequenced to expose children to a diverse range of authors, themes, and styles.

✅ A Thematically Mapped Curriculum – Texts are selected to complement wider curriculum subjects, enriching learning in history, geography, science, and PSHE.

✅ Systematic Vocabulary Instruction – Every reading lesson explicitly teaches vocabulary, closing the word gap and enabling children to express complex ideas with precision.

✅ Prosodic Reading Strategies – Explicit fluency practice ensures that children develop confident, expressive reading skills.

✅ Deep Comprehension Strategies – Pupils engage in high-quality discussion and structured questioning to develop deep and sophisticated reading skills.

CUSP Literature Spine: A Coherent and Purposeful Reading Journey

At Summerhill, we have adopted the CUSP Core Literature Spine, ensuring all children experience:

📚 Heritage Texts – Timeless classics that develop cultural literacy and an appreciation for rich, complex language.

📚 Contemporary Literature – Books that reflect the modern world, including diverse authors and protagonists.

📚 Books with Moral, Ethical, and Social Themes – Texts that encourage discussion around key societal issues such as equality, resilience, environmental responsibility, and social justice.

📚 Non-Fiction and Poetry – High-quality non-fiction and poetry are embedded throughout the curriculum, broadening pupils' knowledge and exposure to different genres.

The Structure of a CUSP Reading Lesson

Our reading lessons follow a highly structured, research-led model, ensuring all children have access to high-quality reading instruction.

Lesson Phases

Connect – Activating prior knowledge to anchor new learning.

Explain – Explicit vocabulary instruction, ensuring children understand and can use sophisticated language.

Example – Teacher modelling of high-quality reading and comprehension skills.

Attempt – Guided practice, with scaffolding gradually removed.

Apply – Independent practice to reinforce learning and secure fluency.

Challenge – Higher-order thinking, including exploring themes, authorial intent, and literary styles.

Fluency and Prosodic Reading Strategies

All reading lessons explicitly develop fluency through:

✔ Echo Reading – Modelling and repeating passages to improve phrasing and expression.

✔ Paired Reading – Partnered reading to build confidence and accuracy.

✔ Performance Reading – Encouraging pupils to read with expression and characterisation.

✔ Repeated Reading – Revisiting passages to improve pace and accuracy.

Our Commitment to Every Child: Inclusion and Adaptive Practice

Every child, regardless of background or ability, deserves to become a confident and fluent reader. We use adaptive teaching strategies to ensure:

🔹 Targeted Interventions – Structured, evidence-based reading support for pupils who need additional practice.

🔹 Adaptive Resources – Scaffolding, enlarged text, and alternative reading strategies to meet diverse needs.

🔹 Diverse and Representative Texts – Ensuring all children see themselves reflected in the literature they read.

Our inclusive approach ensures that reading is accessible, meaningful, and transformative for all pupils.

For further information on progression documents and overviews please speak to one of our English team, Mrs Perry or Miss Hughes.