This document is a statement of the aims, principles and strategies for teaching and learning of English at Woodside School It was developed during the summer and autumn terms of 1995 through a process of consultation with the teaching staff. It is intended as a working document for the staff and will be reviewed in the summer of 1997,

Principals Of The Teaching And Learning Of English

English is the basic language of communication in this country and much of the western world and its mastery is a prerequisite for educational progress. It is the foundation for almost all the learning which takes place in our school. Its mastery empowers the learner and is essential for independent learning, the world of work and most aspects of everyday life. English is a core subject in the National Curriculum and our aim is that all children will develop the necessary skills to use the English Language confidently, appropriately and accurately to the best of their ability.

Speaking and Listening

All children will be able to speak clearly, fluently and cogently. They will be able to listen to the spoken word attentively, with understanding, pleasure and empathy.

Teaching Methods and Learning Strategies

Speaking and listening are developed through:
providing a range of opportunities to talk and listen in formal and informal settings
the use of drama and role play to explore imagined situations
links between language and music exploring rhythm
a regular story time (daily at Key Stage 1) when the teacher or other adult reads aloud to the class
encouraging the ability to ask questions

The teacher will lead or facilitate all these activities and provide the resources.

Resources

a selection of books, tape recorders, pre-recorded tapes and stories, radio broadcasts, real people who visit the school e.g. author, policeman, musical instruments and CD ROMs

Assessment and Recording

Teachers assess the ability of all children to talk fluently correcting bad grammar and sloppy speech, but accepting regional variations. Tape recordings can be kept and notes taken on pupil's speaking and listening skills. Any child considered to have speech difficulties will be referred with parent's consent to the speech therapist.

AT2 Reading

We aim to enable pupils to read fluently and with understanding a range of different kinds of material, to have confidence in their capacity as readers, to find pleasure in, and be voluntary users of reading information, for interest, for entertainment and for the extension of experiences and insight that poetry and fiction of quality afford, to see that reading is necessary for their personal lives, for their learning throughout the curriculum and for the requirements of working and living in our society.

Teaching Methods and Learning Strategies

Learning takes place more effectively if it is an enjoyable experience. As to the first stage there needs to be agreement between teachers as to the policy we adopt, so that parents can see a similar structure.

It has been agreed that a blend of methods should be used to teach initial reading skills,
PHONICS which aims to equip children with the skills of analysing and building words by sound out letters and combinations of letters. 'LOOK AND SAY' teaching which relies upon children learning to recognise whole words and sentences by their shape and pattern and teaching children to compose their own words and sentences from banks of letters and words. 'REAL BOOKS' approach which attempts to move away from published schemes in favour of motivating the children to understand and take a strong interest in reading by teaching them from an early stage, from attractively produced children's literature.

In the reception year children should spend time on pre-reading skills such as: describing pictures using appropriate vocabulary, describing events, sequencing, predicting and exploring conventions of reading taught i.e.; left to right eye movement, commencing at top of page, starting at front of book and how to handle books.

Introduce letter names and sounds straight away, highlighting the initial letter sound by using alphabets, language, play which focuses on special patterns, jingles and rhymes, and our commercially produced schemes Letterland, Language Alive and New Way.

Teach a basic sight vocabulary related to familiar objects, children's names, stories and the words for starting the reading scheme, which combines New Way and Ginn 36 reading books. Progression in reading is structured through the use of these books, which have been graded in levels of difficulty, and integrating the phonic approach.

Reading games are important and a good way to use parent helpers in the classroom. Shared reading with parents at home is encouraged, Teachers should use their professional judgement as to whether the child need to reread any pages at school.

Reading books are sent home at the teacher's discretion. All pupils should be encouraged to take home a library book. We have produced guidelines for parents to help their child read at home and make it a pleasurable activity

For infant and junior children their should be a time set aside for quiet reading and guidance given about authors and which books to read.

As skills in reading become more advanced so reading materials should become broader;--newspapers, timetables, dictionaries, thesauruses, text books, poetry, fiction and non fiction.

Encourage correct use of the library and using reference books and IT based reference materials effectively;-- use of contents page, index, chapters, scanning, skimming and making a précis of a section of a book.

Always remember we are fostering and encouraging a lasting enjoyment and appreciation of literature from a variety of cultures and traditions.

Resources

structured reading schemes:
Ginn 360, New Way

supplementary reading books:
Flying Boot, Oxford Reading Tree, Bangers and Mash, Fuzz Buzz, Story Chest, Journeys Into Reading, BBC stories, library books, Letterland, Wellington Square.
photocopiable worksheets, practising phonics, comprehension and other language activities
computer games, CD ROMs, parent helpers
television programmes and videos
reading games
the county, school and classroom libraries

Assessment and Recording

Base line assessment will be introduced in the near future. On entry to school a child's skills are assessed . The precise nature of the support needed will be ascertained. Children with special educational needs are provided with extra support from classroom helpers where possible.

Teachers should listen to children read in order to support, correct and assess them and to guide their choice of books. The books read by each child are carefully recorded and dated, as they progress through the stages. Each child in the infants has a reading record book for home / school use.

Teachers use photocopiable sheets linked to reading scheme books to reinforce language, develop comprehension and assess the understanding of the books read. Book reviews are written by Key Stage 2 pupils.

We use the Hertfordshire reading test twice yearly Dec/Jan and July to help assess progress in reading. Results from these are recorded on their individual cumulative record sheet for reading.

Whenever problems are encountered in reading these should be discussed with the SEN Co-ordinator, and head, and particular care should be taken to engage the help of parents. Where necessary a special educational plan should be started for these children and updated termly in consultation with parents. If there is no progress made advice should be sought at stage 3 with the educational psychologist.

A T 3 Writing, Spelling and Handwriting

All children will be able to write effectively for a range of audiences and purposes, using spelling, punctuation and syntax accurately and confidently. They will be encouraged to produce clear, legible and fluent joined up writing as early as possible.

Writing

The importance of using standard English and the study of language are emphasised strongly and permeate all the programmes of study.

We use a published scheme, English Alive throughout the Infants and Juniors, through this continuity is maintained.

The use of a word book, dictionary and thesaurus is introduced at various stages of development.

Sentence structure and punctuation is according to their ability and stages of learning from capital letters and full stops to the use of paragraphs, direct and indirect speech, tenses and parts of speech.

We are sensitive to the different capacities of our pupils and we encourage a process of planning, drafting and redrafting, providing opportunities for using a word processor.

We give the children opportunities for collaborative writing.

We aim to mark work especially with the infants, in the presence of the child for this creates a teaching situation where the child is helped with organisation of ideas and corrections of errors.

Written work is often displayed in the classroom, corridors and halls, or sometimes the children use it to make books or folders.

Presentation is important, discuss presentation at regular intervals and show examples of work that is well presented.

Spelling

Every teacher must be aware of the importance of creating opportunities for pupils to improve their spelling. There is a need to look with sympathy and understanding at what pupils have written and to respect their efforts.

Opportunities should be taken in every curriculum area to promote a positive approach towards more accurate spelling. It is also important that we have a clear, manageable whole school policy on marking -- see separate policy.

We use a structured spelling programme--- Spelling World, as part of our strategy for teaching good spelling. We also use any opportunities that might arise naturally to help with spellings e.g. point out letter patterns in their names.
In the early years we realise that a good basis of phonic alphabetical knowledge is important for spelling correctly or reasonably accurately. This will also enable the pupils to use word banks or simple dictionaries with confidence. We encourage independence so that a child does not waste time waiting for an adult's help. The whole strategy used to formulate good spelling is the LOOK,COVER, WRITE, CHECK method.

Before asking for help to spell a word, they are encouraged to try and spell the word themselves.

Each pupil has a personal word book to write in words they commonly spell incorrectly, it contains banks of key words and they constantly use it as a working aid.

The children are encouraged to use a dictionary, and to copy from the dictionary by memorising the whole word.

We encourage parents to practise spellings with children by sending families of words with common sounds and patterns, or letter strings home, The pupils are tested weekly and results recorded.

We provide key words for different topics which are often mounted for display in the classroom,

We need to foster confidence and we can help children to become competent spellers by using programs such as Hands On Spellings and spell checks on the computer.
Show pupils ways of learning words, practising sounds, and sound blends where appropriate,

Make them aware of beginnings and endings and root words and teach the useful spelling rules.

1. No English word has a q without a u e.g. quiet.
2. No English word ends in j or v except spiv.
3. Short words ending in l s or f double the last letter e.g. tell fuss.
4. To make a word ending in a vowel plus y plural add an s e.g. toy toys
5. To make a word ending in a consonant plus y plural change the y to ies.
6. Some words have a silent e e.g. hope.
7. I before e except after c e.g. believe, receipt, there are a few exceptions.
These and other spelling rules are taught to a class or child when the need arises, a full list has been included in the supplementary material.

Handwriting

The New Nelson Handwriting scheme is used throughout the school to help develop a fluid, legible style, which will enable the children to express themselves freely with and clarity. We teach the Reception children to make letters with a kick on and develop a cursive style of joined up handwriting with the children during Key Stage 1 and continuing through Key Stage 2. Each year group has regular teaching and practice sessions, organised in the early years, to link up with spelling patterns and phonics. The younger children use pencil, we introduce pens when the children are ready. We encourage fountain pens. Ball point pens are not permitted and we discourage the use of rubbers.

We have a range of other writing implements such as crayons, pastels and felt tips., which are also used. Paper varies in size, colour and texture, including lined and plain. For topic work we encourage the use of guidelines with plain paper.

Purple handwriting books are used throughout the school where appropriate.

We have a positive approach and encourage the children to present their work neatly, which gives them a sense of satisfaction, and a successful means of communication.

Resources

a range of text books---English Alive, New Way, language and phonic books, Read Write And Remember, Sound Sense, Collins Basic English, Primary English, dictionaries, Ginn 360, New Way, New Nelson Handwriting, Letterland, Spelling World, Word Patterns, Wellington Square.
cassette recorders, tapes, videos, television, radio, computers, CD ROMs, word processing programmes, and desk top publishing materials

Assessment And Recording

Formative assessment is used to guide the progress of individual pupils in English. It involves identifying each child's progress in each aspect of the subject, determining what each child has learned and what therefore should be the next stage in his/her learning. Formative assessment is mostly carried out informally by teachers in the course of their teaching.
Suitable tasks for assessment include:
hearing children read in a one to one context
small group discussions in the context of a practical task
short tests in which the teacher gives questions orally and pupils write answers [ such as spelling tests, or dictation exercises. ]
specific assignments for individual pupils
individual discussions with teachers in which children are encouraged to appraise their own work and progress .

At the beginning of the year in Key Stage 2 each child has a diagnostic spelling test (Schonell) to ascertain the child's spelling age, which helps the teacher to set spelling activities at the right level.

Work plans (including detailed lesson plans) are drawn up by individual teachers for each half term and monitored by the head teacher.

We keep a termly record of progress in each attainment target and a portfolio of work, dated and annotated with teacher's comments containing examples of written work, which shows achievement and progress.

Reporting to parents is done on a termly basis through interview and annually through a written report. Reporting in English will focus on each child's progress in speaking and listening, reading and writing.

Formal summative assessment is carried out at the end of each National Curriculum Key Stage (i.e. in years 2 and 6) through the use of SATs and teacher assessment.