Literacy

Teaching English at Parklands Junior School:

At Parklands Junior School, we aim to instil a love of reading and writing in all children. English has a leading position in education and society and it is through English that pupils are taught to speak and write fluently so they are able to communicate their ideas to others. We provide children with opportunities to develop spiritually, socially, culturally, emotionally and intellectually during our Reading and Literacy lessons. Children acquire knowledge, building on what they already know and are challenged to explore language for different purposes.

National Curriculum Aims:

The overarching aim for English in the national curriculum is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop their love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment. The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that all pupils:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
• use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
• are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.

Reading:

At Parklands Junior School we equip children with the skills that they need to effectively engage in reading, alongside embedding a love of reading. A skills based approach to the teaching of reading allows children to analyse and explore a range of texts successfully, including discussing the author’s purpose for writing and evaluating characters. Reading extensively increases pupils’ vocabulary as they encounter words they would rarely hear or use themselves. Reading feeds pupils’ imagination which paves the way for creative writing. All pupils are encouraged to read widely, including both fiction and non-fiction texts. Teachers aim to establish a love and appreciation for reading. In order to support this, each classroom has a ‘Reading Challenge’ which encourages pupils to read at home on a regular basis.

Writing:

During Literacy lessons, children are taught the writing process, for example they learn how to plan, revise and evaluate their writing. In addition to this, children are taught how to compose texts to engage the reader. This includes:

• grouping ideas through the use of paragraphs and other organisational devices
• communicating ideas effectively
• developing an awareness of the context and target audience
• gaining a wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar

Furthermore, presentation is an important aspect of Literacy. Children are aware of the expectations for presentation and are given handwriting practice weekly.

National Curriculum Year 3 & 4 Word List

National Curriculum Year 5 & 6 Word List