Reading
This is probably the most important skill that a child will learn. It is not only a source of pleasure in itself, but also a primary means of obtaining information. Parents are encouraged to help their children by listening to them read and reading to them. Our pupils are given opportunities during the school day for different reading activities. The pupils also have the opportunity to use our fantastic school library and choose a book to take home.
We follow ‘Letters and sounds’ to teach early phonics from nursery through to yr 2.
Each Year group has a selection of high quality Core Text books which are used to support the class topic. The children learn more about their topic through the carefully selected Core Text books. These are used as whole class shared reading where the children learn the skills to ‘Jump in’ which engages all learners. The children have daily reading comprehension lessons which develop the children’s ability to retrieve, make inferences, vocabulary, predictions, explain and summarise.
In school we use the online site ‘Bug Club’ where children can receive their own log in to access books which are matched to the level of every child.
Writing
Children need to write as a means of communication, as a way of clarifying their thoughts and as a method of recording their opinions and ideas. Various types of writing are introduced to the children, enabling them to select the most appropriate skills for the task in hand. We also stress the importance of good spelling, sound grammatical structure, neat handwriting and quality presentation.
Speaking and listening skills
It is through talking that children clarify their understanding. Children learn to express themselves clearly and need to acquire a wide vocabulary to communicate effectively verbally and in writing. We are firm believers in the importance of developing communication skills and that if children can’t say they can’t write it. Listening skills are equally vital and the children are given many opportunities to use both these skills in a variety of ways, through drama, poetry, discussions etc.
