Reading and Writing
Reading
Intent
The World Literacy Foundation states that pupils’ reading ability, and the acquisition of knowledge that it fosters, has an enormous impact on the lives of individuals and wider society (2015). This provides the rationale for our intent in reading and for it being a priority within our school.
Our reading curriculum follows the guidance set out in the National Curriculum. Our aim is for all pupils – irrespective of their needs, abilities or background – to learn to read fluently and with understanding. We want to develop confident, independent readers who enjoy and understand the benefits that reading brings.
Our approaches are in line with current research. Early reading is taught through the Read Write Inc phonics programme, with pupils learning to link letter sounds to written text through a detailed sequence of steps. In KS2, daily reading lessons are based around themed reading units (see Y3-Y6WCR Spines ). These ensure that pupils are immersed in a wide range of texts in order to develop vocabulary and word-recognition skills, and to build a wide-ranging knowledge base to support comprehension. Pupils are also read to each day by an adult.
Implementation
The direct teaching of reading starts with oracy and phonics. We follow the Read Write Inc phonics programme, with this being complemented by purposeful talk and the use of shared reading experiences that expose pupils to a wider range of vocabulary, syntax and sentence structure. Our children receive a daily phonics lesson in which they participate in speaking, listening and spelling activities that are matched to their developmental needs.
Teachers draw upon observations and continuous assessment to ensure that children are stretched and challenged, and to identify those children who may need additional support. We aim for all pupils to finish the programme by the end of KS1. If their decoding skills are secure before this time, they undertake structured comprehension lessons. If they are not secure by the end of KS1, they will continue to access the RWI programme in Year 3.
By KS2, our aim is for all pupils to be ready for our daily, whole-class reading lessons. The focus here is on the development of vocabulary, fluency, reading stamina, specific reading skills and knowledge through immersion into a wide range of texts. For each year group, these lessons are based on a series of themed texts and class novels, with these acting as a stimulus for skill development and deep thinking. These texts cover a range of fiction and non-fiction genres that aim to develop pupils’ cultural capital, general knowledge and wider understanding.
Furthermore, writing lessons focus on word- and sentence-level understanding, with many of the activities making use of skills that will enhance pupils’ comprehension of written language.
Reading for pleasure is also a focus throughout our schools, with school and class libraries providing books for home reading, and initiatives being undertaken to promote reading as a positive past-time. According to research, this plays a major role in reading development, while also providing pupils with an alternative to the digital distractions that can affect their personal wellbeing.
Writing
Intent
In order to provide pupils with the best educational experience, teachers’ practice should be based on both subject-specific and general pedagogical research. In the case of writing, this means high quality modelling of the writing process, including insights into the writer’s mind. Writing is a complex procedure: to aid cognition, it should be broken down into manageable chunks and specific steps. Research also tells us that grammar rules are best learnt contextually – within a piece of writing – as opposed to having separate lessons that use de-contextualised worksheets to apply them in a mechanical way. This also applies to the development of language and syntax, with nuances of meaning and effect developed as part of instructional modelling.
To embed such complex learning, opportunities are needed to practise word- and sentence-level skills repeatedly over time – but in different contexts. In addition, an understanding of the writing process should also include the planning, drafting, editing and revision of longer pieces. The development of metacognitive skills within such practice will put pupils in a strong position for their future schooling.
Implementation
Our daily writing lessons follow the requirements of the National Curriculum. We have structured units of work into a long-term plan that has strong links to the wider curriculum while also covering a range of genres within fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
Each unit provides teaching of specific grammar, syntax and vocabulary . Each provides a high level of cognitive support so that the complexity of learning at this stage is scaffolded for success. At appropriate times, ‘experience lessons’ are used to provide structured opportunities for vocabulary development, drama, experiential learning or research so that pupils’ understanding of the topic or fictional situation is deepened. Following this, a separate series of independent writing lessons takes pupils from the planning stage to the development of a final written piece.
To align the approach with pupils’ phonic development, we have adapted it for KS1 so that the strategies used align with ‘Read Write Inc’ methodologies to ensure children only practice sounds that they know.
We follow the Penpals scheme for handwriting, with sessions timetabled daily.
For spelling, we follow the Read Write Inc scheme which is interactive and focused on rules and patterns.