Intent
READING
At Gwladys Street we believe that reading is fundamental to academic success and want children to be become enthusiastic and motivated readers. Children need to be lifelong readers and we aim to do this by:
- developing the skills to decode words to read fluently.
- Read for meaning and deepen children’s vocabulary skills.
- Promote books to develop children’s interests – fiction and non-fiction.
- Encourage a love of literature so children develop reading for pleasure.
- To use reading to provoke thought within children.
- Use books to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually.
To make links between characters, settings, themes
WRITING
We believe that all pupils should be able to confidently communicate their knowledge, ideas and emotions through their writing. We want our pupils to be able to:
- Speak and listen confidently to understand how to use and build sentences of varying types.
- Acquire and apply a wide vocabulary with a solid understanding of grammar.
- Be able to spell new words by effectively applying the spelling patterns and rules they learn throughout their time in primary school.
- Write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences.
- Be encouraged to take pride in the presentation of their writing, in part by developing a good, joined, handwriting style by the time they move to secondary school.
Refine and edit their writing over time, therefore developing independence in being able to identify their own areas for improvement in all pieces of writing, editing their work effectively during and after the writing process.
Implementation
READING
We provide reading opportunities every day in a range of ways to develop and consolidate children’s reading skills. These include teaching children a range of reading strategies to decode unfamiliar words.
Each year group immerses children into a class book so they can discuss themes, characters, setting and develop their comprehension skills.
High quality guided reading sessions take place once a week with each group in the class being led by a member of the teaching staff using high quality texts.
School uses Accelerated Reading programme to support progress of children’s reading skills.
Reading assemblies promote a range of books.
At the end of each day, the class teacher reads to the class – books linked to their topic or age appropriate.
Reading volunteers and staff hear children read on a 1-1 basis.
A Reading for Pleasure Calendar is implemented for children to participate in local, national and international events. Visits are made to local libraries.
Reading through curriculum takes place so children can consolidate and apply their reading skills.
Parents/carers support their reading skills and reading enjoyment, with their children using books that school provide to match the child’s ability.
WRITING
We provide writing opportunities every day in a range of ways to develop and consolidate children’s writing skills – these include:
Daily Grammar sessions from year 3 to 6.
Daily Phonics sessions.
Modelling writing to children explaining word choices and sentences.
Teaching the different types of writing through the year – fiction, discussion, persuasion, explanation, instructions, report, non-chronological report – that is purposeful and for a range of audiences.
Modelling correct handwriting and developing children’s fine and gross motor skills.
Providing children with a range of tools to support them in their writing eg. Dictionaries, thesauri.
Through English lessons and the curriculum developing a range of vocabulary and understanding the effect of choices made.
Children to use their vocabulary books to support their writing.
Writing across the curriculum in different genres to demonstrate their learning.
Impact
READING
Through the teaching of systematic phonics, our aim is for children to become fluent readers by the end of Key Stage One. This way, children can focus on developing their fluency and comprehension as they move through the school. Attainment in phonics is measured by the Phonics Screening Test at the end of Year 1.
We firmly believe that reading is the key to all learning and so the impact of our reading curriculum goes beyond the results of the statutory assessments.
Accelerated Reader will support will measure the progress of each child’s reading ability.
We give all children the opportunity to enter the magical worlds that books open up to them. We promote reading for pleasure as part of our reading curriculum. Children are encouraged to develop their own love of genres and authors and to review their books objectively. This enhances a deep love of literature across a range of genres, cultures and styles.
Attainment in reading is measured using the statutory assessments at the end of Key Stage One and Two. These results are measured against the reading attainment of children nationally.
WRITING
Pupils will make at least good progress from starting points. Writing assessment is ongoing throughout every lesson to ensure that children are applying the taught grammar/spelling and layout that has been modelled. Pupils are given detailed feedback and next steps to respond to in order to personalise learning and provide the children with opportunities to edit and improve their own writing.
Children will be confident by the end of year 6 to be able to write in a range of genres throughout the curriculum for a variety or purposes and contexts, using the National Curriculum expectations.
Pupils will gain a love of writing, which will ensure they are equipped for the rest of their education and life.
School improvement leaders closely monitor all pupil’s books and hold individual termly meetings with all teachers to assess every individual child’s learning needs and progress. In addition, pupil voice is used to enable leaders to assess the impact of writing across the curriculum.
https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/find-a-book/library-page/