Subject Leader: Mrs Woodhead
Early Years Literacy
The Book Trust offer ideas and guidance on early reading opportunities:
Early reading
Reading is a key stone to learning across the curriculum. At St Bega’s we encourage reading from the very start; noticing and understanding words in the environment through to independent reading for pleasure. We follow a focussed phonics programme to allow children to learn reading letter sounds from nursery. We have a wide range of books available offering a range of challenge and topic; including focussed phonics books, fictional stories including traditional tales and non-fiction texts.
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Early writing
Opportunities to write are available as soon as you begin your journey at St Bega’s. All the children have their own ‘busy book’ for their own independent mark making and writing. Fine motor play activities are available every day for the children to use to build up their skills ready to begin writing. Our children learn stories in our ‘Talk 4 Writing’ programme so that they begin to structure stories verbally from an early age.
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Provision
Our provision is carefully planned to ensure we offer opportunities to read and write throughout the environment linked to our current topic and the children’s interests. We offer opportunities for children to progress their literacy skills both indoors and outdoors.
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Primary English Curriculum
Reading
Our children enjoy a range of texts and track their own progress through the Accelerated Reader programme; which the children can access both at home and in school.
https://ukhosted5.renlearn.co.uk/2158412/
Every classroom has their own specific reading area with a wide variety of books to suit reader’s needs, interests and abilities. Accelerated Reader books offer both fiction and non-fiction numbered books matched to the comprehension level of the pupil. Topic boxes from our local library supplement our range of books offering content from specific areas of interest. Children at St Bega’s are encouraged to share their love of reading and read aloud to others; offering both support and advice to others in their reading journey.
Electronic books are available at Oxford Owl:
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/
Writing
Writing is an important skill that is used across the curriculum. We encourage children to progress their writing skills across their work and model joined handwriting (continuous cursive) skills to our pupils.
Teaching children to progress in their knowledge and application of spellings is carefully planned throughout our ‘No Nonsense Spelling’ programme from Year 2 to Year 6.
We believe that children need to have ideas and inspiration for their stories before they can begin to write. We use books as a stimulus for promoting writing across the curriculum, with the children learning specific texts, stories and poems in our Talk 4 Writing programme. Talk 4 Writing gives children the opportunity to learn writing verbally as a starting point to begin their own topical writing. We plan for children’s writing every year based on the writing skills progression for each pupil linked to an engaging half termly topic; which creates a hook for learning. See the link below for the progression of writing skills from 3 years onwards.
https://www.talk4writing.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Progression.pdf