English
'The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.' Dr Seuss
In English pupils will have the opportunity to:
- Develop their skills as a writer through transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing)
- Write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
Pupils will be able to develop their skills as a writer by:
- Writing for a range of contexts including different purposes and audiences
- Practising writing throughout the school day and across all subjects
- Develop their understanding of different types of punctuation and the impact it has on the reader
- Expressing their own unique ideas through the texts they write
- Choosing the words they write carefully for effect
- Carefully organising their writing
- Learning how to spell key words correctly in their writing
- Practising their handwriting making sure that it is correctly formed to make sure others can read it
Reading
At All Saints we value reading and understand that reading is fundamental to function in today's society. Reading is a life skill that needs to be taught, nurtured and developed from an early age. Reading begins with our youngest children in our nursery setting.
We teach reading skills through daily guided reading sessions and by listening to pupils read individually. Pupils read often and have access to a range of books from our school library, the Ackworth Library Service, class reading areas and also our reading schemes. We encourage all our pupils to read regularly at home.
In school we follow the Oxford Reading Tree reading scheme but also supplement this with other schemes. This helps young children learn key words which they will see and use often. It also introduces them to familiar characters which they will follow through a range of stories. As pupils become confident in their reading they will then be provided with a large range of books from other publishers. Our reading scheme provides a wide range of high quality reading books, which include poems, stories and information texts. Our guided reading scheme follows the national coloured book banding system and includes a range of books from many different publishers including Oxford University Press and Rigby Star.
Reading in KS1 and Reception
In KS1 and Reception we now follow the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised is a phonics programme validated by the Department for Education. It has been developed by Little Sutton and Wandle English Hubs in partnership with other phonics and early reading experts. Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised has been built around the update (Department for Education – Letters and Sounds improving rates of progress 2021) that were funded to produce by the Department for Education, as well as drawing on the latest research into how children learn best. It ensures learning stays in children’s long term memory and enables children to apply their learning to become highly competent readers.
The reading books for this scheme are by Big Cat Phonics for Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised. The books are matched perfectly to the Little Wandle progression and support all the Letters and Sounds phases. This progression is based on the DfE's publication 'Letters and Sounds: Improving Rates of Progress 2021'. There is an exciting mix of stories and non-fiction to foster a love of reading in all children.
Reading sessions
Your child will be heard to read in a small group 3 times per week for 20 minutes. They will then bring the book that they have been reading in class home to practice.
Supporting your child with reading
Although your child will be taught to read at school, you can have a huge impact on their reading journey by continuing their practice at home.
There are two types of reading book that your child may bring home:
Reading practice book
This book has been carefully matched to your child’s current reading level. If your child is reading it with little help, please don’t worry that it’s too easy – your child needs to develop fluency and confidence in reading.
Listen to them read the book. Remember to give them lots of praise – celebrate their success! If they can’t read a word, read it to them. After they have finished, talk about the book together.
It is our aim for your child to be able to read this fluently and independently.
Sharing book
In order to encourage your child to become a lifelong reader, it is important that they learn to read for pleasure. The sharing book is a book they have chosen for you to enjoy together.
Please remember that you shouldn’t expect your child to read this alone. Read it to or with them. Discuss the pictures, enjoy the story, predict what might happen next, use different voices for the characters, explore the facts in a non-fiction book. The main thing is that you have fun!
Key Stage 2
Reading
Reading is taught daily as a whole class. There is a clear focus on both fluency and understanding, using age-appropriate texts that have been chosen using lexile levels and with a view to engage our children. It is taught 5 days a week, for a period of approximately 30 minutes. For a more comprehensive description of our reading approach, please see below:
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Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling
GPS should be taught at the start of most English lessons as an interactive and repetitive way of developing their skills. The skills being taught link to the genre of writing the children are focusing on at the time. The children will apply their knowledge of basic rules to a variety of question types and the repetition over the writing period should help their working memory improve; therefore, having a positive impact on the grammatical quality of each child’s writing.
Spelling Shed
This year, we have subscribed to the new Spelling Shed scheme to tach spelling across school from year two to year six. They focus on etymology, syllable counts, the segmentation of words, prefixes and suffixes and closely link to how phonics has been taught in key stage one. Children also have the opportunity to practise each week and this is encouraged at home. 10 spellings will be sent home weekly for children to learn for homework.
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At All Saints, we have a reading challenge for each year group, from Nursery all the way up to Year 6. The children will each receive a bookmark that contains a wide range of genres for both fiction and non-fiction. When children complete a genre, they will be entered into a prize draw for that term. If your child completes the entire bookmark, they will receive a prize.
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