1. Helping your child with… Literacy Click on the pictures above to visit separate areas of literacy. Speaking and Listening ReadingWriting Spelling

2. Speaking and Listening – Why do we teach Speaking and Listening? Better speakers and better spellers! Better speakers and better writers! Better listeners learn more! Better speakers are better readers! Better speakers are more confident in articulating ideas! So all children can communicate effectively

3. Speaking and Listening – How do we teach Speaking and Listening? All adults in school model correct speech at all times. Opportunities for children to talk in class are given in every lesson. Subject specific vocabulary is displayed in all classrooms so children can use it in discussions Opportunities for children to listen in class are given in every session. Class Charters often centre around the children’s rights to speaking and listening

4. Speaking and Listening – How do we make Speaking and Listening fun? Scripts are often used, especially around Christmas time and for class assemblies. The children enjoy performing these. Children are encouraged to read out their own work, with the rest of the class listening. Sharing assemblies are used to allow children to share their work to an audience. Classes are paired for “paired” Reading. The older children get the opportunity to model correct speech to the younger children.

5. Speaking and Listening – What can you do to help? Model correct speech with your child at all times Sensitively correct errors in speech Highlight errors in popular television shows Model good listening skills with your children Read with your child on a regular basis Remember to use “was” and “were” correctly

6. Reading - Why do we teach reading? So that children develop a love of books So children understand what they read It is fundamental to all subjects To improve children’s writing and spelling

7. Reading - How do we teach reading? We run our finger over the top of words and encourage children to run their finger underneath words. We reward children with “Super Reader” badges for reading books at home. If a child gets stuck on a word, we give them the initial sound. We encourage the children to read between the lines to further their understanding We discuss with the children what they have read.

8. Reading - How do we make reading fun? Each teacher models reading with the class, reading books that the children have chosen. As well as a “levelled” book, each class has library time where the children can choose books to read. We encourage the children to use ICT to read texts. Each class has SQUIRT (sustained quiet uninterrupted reading time) where children read for pleasure.

9. Reading - How can you help? Talk about the characters and the illustrations from the earliest books Encourage talk about the book in as many ways as you can Invent different stories with the characters Keep things light-hearted and fun! Try to ask questions in such a way that the children feel involved rather than “under pressure” Explore “what if” possibilities for the story, or different endings Encourage the children to use illustrations if they are in the book or draw their own Read to your child regularly, regardless of year group

10. Writing – Why do we teach writing? So children are able to communicate in a variety of forms using words

11. Writing – How do we teach writing? In the early stages we look at letter formation. Every letter starts on the line and ends with a tail, all without the pencil leaving the paper! In Key Stage 1 children have the opportunity to write narratives on a regular basis In Key Stage 2 the children look at the features of all text types, including biographies, reports, explanations, persuasive writing and narrative. Years 1-4 have a “weekend journal” which they write in every week. This makes the writing personal to the children Children look at examples of famous authors’ writing to see good examples of writing. The children are given plenty of opportunities to talk about their writing before, during and after their work. Children are given a variety of stimuli to base their writing on

12. Writing – How do we make writing fun? Badges are rewarded for “super writers” Children in years 5 and 6 create a school newspaper fortnightly Writing is always topic related ICT is used to produce work In years 5 and 6 the children have “Free Writing” books, which allows the children to write for pleasure. Each class has a “writer of the week”

13. Writing – What can you do to help? Keep things light-hearted and fun! Encourage the children to keep a diary Ensure there are plenty of writing tools around the house Practice cursive handwriting regularly Discourage capital letters in the middle of words Give the children opportunities to write; shopping lists etc... Allow children access to word processing packages so they can type instead of writing by hand Read with your child regularly PICTURE OF CURSIVE SCRIPT

14. Spelling - Why do we teach spellings? So that children become confident writers. So that children become accurate and fluent readers

15. Spelling - How do we teach spellings? putting the sounds together to make words (p-o-t, i-n,) common blend sounds (ph, dr, sp, th,) Encourage the use of word-building techniques in reading application of “learned” spellings when writing

16. Spelling - How do we make spellings fun? Make up “nonsense” words that use same letter strings Use ICT BBC Website (link)link Woodlands Junior School Website (link)link Thesaurus and spell checker Use ICT BBC Website (link)link Woodlands Junior School Website (link)link Thesaurus and spell checker Identify rhyming words that have the same letter string

17. Spelling - What are the “fundamentals” for children? To practice letter strings To practice patterns of letters To practice high frequency words

18. Spelling - How can you help? Change the word to different tenses i.e. add “ed” “ing” on the end Make up a “story” with as many of the spelling list words in as you can Think of other words with the same “string” of letters Make up sentences containing the word Practice the spellings as flexibly and as often as you can!