Our Lady of Hartley Catholic Primary SchoolTogether in faith, love and learning…
English
Relevant documents
Introduction
At Our Lady of Hartley we are passionate about developing children’s love for English in order to enable them to become purposeful, thoughtful readers and creative writers. Through teaching children to fully immerse themselves into a text, we endeavour for them to widen their vocabulary, develop their speech and language skills and think creatively about a variety of texts.
Talk for Writing
We have recently become a Talk for Writing school and have adapted our English curriculum to include the approach which was developed by Pie Corbett. As part of the Talk for Writing process, children are provided with collaborative approaches to learning and opportunities for exploring vocabulary, punctuation and grammar in context. Purposeful written tasks ensure that the children are aware of the reader at every stage of the writing process across a variety of genres. Children are immersed in a range of high quality texts through a variety of Talk for Writing strategies including story mapping, drama and role-play activities.
Writing
At Our Lady of Hartley, we encourage children to:
- Write for pleasure and express creative ideas across a range of genres
- Write for a variety of audiences including real audiences
- Plan, draft, discuss and reflect on their writing
- Use cursive handwriting which supports correct letter formation and spelling
- Use correct grammar and punctuation
- Use phonic awareness to help spell unknown words.
- Develop a good knowledge and understanding of spelling patterns and irregularities in English spelling
Reading
At Our Lady of Hartley, we enrich the reading curriculum through an annual book week, library visits and visiting authors. Reading widely for pleasure and information is promoted throughout the whole curriculum.
We encourage children to:
- Develop a love and enjoyment of reading
- Read for purpose and information
- Use reading as an integral part of learning throughout the curriculum
- Develop and use different strategies to decode unknown words
- Have a secure understanding and knowledge of phonics
- Read fluently with increased confidence and understanding
- Acquire a rich vocabulary
- Experience a full range of genres
- Develop individual’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through the reading and sharing of quality literature
Throughout KS1 and KS2, children develop a range of reading skills through shared and guided reading.
Carefully planned guided reading sessions develop children’s ability to discuss and understand the texts they read. Children have a personal reading record which we encourage parents to write comments in. Comprehension skills are taught explicitly during reading and English sessions and consolidated through carefully planned learning opportunities across the curriculum.
Phonics and Spelling
In KS1, children have a systematic, discrete phonics lesson each day, following the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme. Children are provided with regular opportunities to practice and apply their skills in their reading and writing across the curriculum.
Spelling, punctuation and grammar are taught discretely and in context in English lessons throughout the school and weekly spellings are sent home each week.
Useful websites
WORLD BOOK DAY
Parent Reading Information Session – 26.02.2016
Collins Connect - Treasure House
For homework, teachers are beginning to set English tasks using the Collins Connect Treasure House system. To access Treasure House, please click on the logo below.
