Literacy Across the Curriculum Welcome participants Explain any domestic arrangements/register

Objectives for the Session To link reading and writing objectives to other subjects To apply literacy skills across the curriculum To identify opportunities for completing Literacy outcomes outside of the Literacy hour Share the objectives with the course participants

OFSTED evaluation of the second year of the NLS When the teaching of literacy is combined with the teaching of other subjects, progress is made in both subjects. The essential element is the establishment of a link between the two subjects. Where there were weaknesses in the teaching of writing within other subjects, these stemmed from missed opportunities to link it with the literacy skills which were required. Make the point that applying skills to a specific subject reinforces them in a purposeful activity. - as on page 1 of booklet The structures and language features of different non-fiction texts impacts upon the way they look when written down. This visual layout of text reinforces both the literacy and the content. E.g. Most instructional texts look very similar. Emphasise that it is important to focus on the literacy objectives rather than the subject matter when using cross-curricular texts in the literacy hour. So, if children are using reference books, it is the reading and note-taking skills that they should be focusing on. No sandwich making in literacy lessons on instructions! OFSTED 2000

Speaking - Listening - Reading - Writing The Literacy Strategy contains core skills that are relevant to the activities children undertake in the literacy lesson and all other subjects. They enable children to: Express themselves correctly and read accurately with understanding. Organise their writing in logical and coherent forms Use language precisely and cogently; both spoken and written. Listen to others and to build on ideas precisely and constructively. Use reading strategies to help them read with understanding and locate information. Use the technical and specialist vocabulary of subjects. Make the point that Speaking and Listening are very important skills that may have been neglected in the pursuit of improving reading and writing. Just as we would model reading and writing, we should model how children should express themselves correctly and clearly in different subjects. We teach children how different genres are organised - to apply that organisation when writing in another subject gives the theory a practical purpose. Having a purpose id very motivating. It is important to teach children how to respond and build upon the ideas of others as well as contributing their own ideas. Reading strategies will be discussed later Making glossaries for the technical language of other subjects is a useful and worthwhile independent activity.

Activity - identifying cross-curricular opportunities Look at the charts on pages 3 to 5 listing the texts and outcomes for each year group. Discuss and tick those subjects which could be used as vehicles for teaching and applying literacy skills. Think about texts that could be used to demonstrate language and extend subject knowledge. Refer the course participants to the tables listing the texts, outcomes and subjects from Reception to Year 6. Ask them to think of ways that the texts could be used to link literacy and other subjects and how literacy outcomes could be achieved in another subject. EG. Explanation texts in Science and Geography. They need not be specific in this activity - just think about text-type rather than actual content. Make the point that it is often difficult to find the time to complete the outcomes for each unit within the literacy hour. Producing pieces of writing in other subjects increases the time available and gives a purpose to the activity. Refer the participants to the grid of six text types on page 6 of the booklet. Ask them to discuss specific writing tasks that could be done in another subject under each heading. EG. A non-chronological report on what the Ancient Greeks ate.

Non-Fiction Text-Types Non-chronological reports - describe the way things are. Instructions and procedures - to describe or instruct how something is done. Biography - a life story not written by the subject. Autobiography - a life story written by the subject. Recounts - retell events. Explanations - explain the processes in the natural and physical world. Persuasion - argue the case for a point of view. (cont.) Quickly run through these and the ones on the next slide. If you want to, you could have examples of these text-types to show the participants - either Big Books or Guided Readers Make the point that it would be far better to find cross-curricular vehicles for these text types than to come up with unrelated ideas and still have to complete pieces of writing in other subjects.

Non-Fiction Text-Types Discussion and Argument -present arguments and information from different viewpoints. Journalistic Writing - retell events of public interest. Diaries - personal recounts. Interviews - reveal a person’s thoughts and experiences. Public Information Leaflets - to educate and inform. Internet - the world wide web. Make the point that the literacy wall or environment should have prompts that the children can access to reinforce the structures and language features of non-fiction genre. Refer participants to example in their booklet - explanations.

Activity - presenting outcomes Look at the QCA units of work and the list of non-fiction outcomes on pages 3, 4 and 5. Using the chart on page 6, showing the six main non-fiction text-types, note down specific pieces of writing that could be produced under each heading for your class. Ask the course participants to find the QCA units for their own Year group. Refer them also to the six text-type grid. Ask them to discuss and feedback specific examples of each text type that could be completed in another subject. Give an example. (EG. A non-chronological report on Our Local Area) Take feedback for each text-type - scribe onto a flip chart if you want to)

What texts should I use? Information books linked to different subject areas. Explanations. Instructions. Historical stories or stories from religious texts. Different authors treatment of the same theme. Poems. Diaries. Letters. Biographies/autobiographies This is self explanatory but make the point that it is useful to give children different books upon the same theme to give them an opportunity to evaluate what is effective and less effective, what is easy to understand and what is not, what they prefer and why. For example, comparing glossary definitions of the same word is an effective way of comparing clarity in writing.

Cross-curricular reading Using non-fiction texts: enables children to extend their knowledge of the world helps children identify appropriate text-types for presenting information increase vocabulary distinguish between fiction and non-fiction

Shared Reading of Non-Fiction Texts (Analysing the text) Identifying non-fiction structure Headings and sub-headings Index Glossary Register - the tone of the writing Technical language Cohesion Perspective Reference texts Illustrations Refer the course participants to the Shared Reading of non-fiction text prompts on pages 14 and 15. Don’t run through them but explain that the points on the slide/OHT 10 are exemplified on these pages. Refer participants to the empty spidergram on page 18 of the booklet. Make the point that it is a good idea to complete this spidergram with the children during the shared reads - better than just giving them a completed one. Point out the example on page 19.

Techniques for extracting information from non-fiction texts Brainstorming Prior knowledge chart - QUADs and KWLs charts Flow diagrams Skimming, scanning and key words Cloze Text sequencing Re-telling Drawing and labelling Time lines Note making Ask the participants to find the techniques on pages 7 to 10. Explain that when children read and write information they often copy chunks of text from one source. It is important to teach children how to extract information quickly and efficiently and these techniques are important Ask participants to read through one technique and then feed back to the other people in their group. (If you have only a few people attending the twilight, you could pick out the less obvious techniques for them to explain to each other.) Again, these are prompts for them to take back to the classroom and are exemplified in their booklet Say that they are going to look more closely at the use of the KWL grid and undertake an activity using one. These are skills that need to be explicitly taught so that children can work more independently when reading for information. They also give children the ability to be discerning about what they note down - not copying great chunks.

Reading for Information S Source D Details A Answers QU Questions Explain that this is a good grid for children who are reading for information. The QU column is where the child writes down questions that he/she would like answering The A column is to note down the answers The D column is for any details about the answers The S column is to note the source of the information The S column makes the point to the child that you need to look at several sources and not just copy chunks from one book

KWL Grid What I have LEARNT What I WANT to know What I KNOW already Make the point that this grid can be filled in before a shared Reading session. Children can make contributions both for what they know and what they would like to know. In this way they have a vested interest in engaging with the text - to see if what they know is in the book and if what they want to know is answered. The final column can be added to during the week by both teacher and pupils.

Activity Use the KWL and make notes in columns 1 and 2 on what you know and what you would like to know about insects. Read the text on insects. Fill out the final column of your KWL grid listing what you have learned about insects. Look at the shared reading prompts. Which of these would relevant in analysing this particular text? Explain that they are going to read a text on insects. This is taken from Incredible Insects by Claire Llewellyn. Normally it would be done as a Shared Read but for the purposes of the session they can read it to themselves - or each other! Before they read they should make notes in the first two columns of their KWL grid. They then read the text and fill out the final column of their grid. After they have done this, ask the participants to look again at the Shared Reading Prompts, pages 14 and 15. How much does the text lend itself to being analysed using these prompts? Let them discuss - brief feedback if time. If you have access to the big book Incredible Insects, you may like to read it through as a shared read, pointing out some structural and language features of a report. OR if you have a text you prefer, you could use that.

Planning Skeletons Recount Instructions Explanation Persuasion Discussion Refer the course participants to the planning skeletons on page 20. These are very visual planning skeletons and are therefore particularly good for visual learners. The children need to be taught how to use them effectively and apply them to writing across the curriculum.Attribute them to Sue Palmer and refer the participants to “Writing Across the Curriculum” where they are explained. Ask the participants to choose one of the skeletons, to draw it on a piece of plain paper, and then to make very brief notes on a subject relevant to the skeleton - eg. a recount of a trip a report on teeth an instructional text for making bread an explanation of the water cycle persuading children to improve the environment discussion - a traffic issue

Hometime!