Reading

Phonemic awareness and phonic knowledge

It is important to develop every pupil’s ability to listen and attend; we endeavor to teach this aspect, through a range of sensory activities across all key stages. Phonics is taught across the school using the Jolly Phonics and Read Write Inc. schemes to meet the needs of all pupils. 

Word recognition and symbolic knowledge

It is important to develop the ability to attend to objects, patterns, symbols and words. Pupils can be encouraged to link these to people, situations and objects and to learn how they can provide cues to an activity and to make choices.

Grammatical awareness

This will develop from and support pupil’s abilities to use and understand how the different elements of speech, for example, how nouns, verbs, adjectives and prepositions are used and combined in different ways so that meaning is clear. Reading may provide visual prompts to support pupils who have difficulty with syntax or who use telegrammatic speech or inappropriate language structures. To develop pupil’s comprehension, it is important to develop understanding of words, sentences and whole text and the ways in which these are selected, combined and sequenced.

Contextual understanding

The development of pupil’s knowledge of object permanence will support the understanding of cues and signals linked to reading activities and the ability to consider text as a whole. Contextual understanding will be built upon knowledge, skills and understanding developed in speaking and listening activities, for example, pupils appropriate responses to specific sounds, words and phrases, their use and understanding of a developing vocabulary and their exploration of language used across different contexts.

Reading for information

It is important to develop the ability to recognise and to obtain information from objects, photographs, pictures, symbols and texts.

Literature

A response to, and an understanding of literature will initially be accessed through attending to a familiar voice reading aloud and to objects, pictures and varied sensory stimuli linked to a story. It is important to develop pupil’s understanding of fiction, poetry, drama and non fiction

At all stages, pupils' enjoyment of reading and books is supported by our attractive and well-stocked library.

Writing

Writing is seen as an integral part of all curriculum areas and is taught as a discreet subject within Literacy teaching. Writing is taken in its broadest sense. Pupils in the earliest stages will be taught to develop tactile manipulation of materials and media; they will be provided with choices and will make simple records of events.

Pupils are supported to use a wide range of good quality writing materials and write on a range of different surfaces. Correct pencil control is promoted as early as possible, the tripod grip is encouraged and the pupil taught to support their work with their non writing hand

The development of mark making and the use of symbols and ICT encourage all out pupils to record their experiences, to make plans, to communicate with each other and a wider audience. Writing gives pupils a sense of pleasure and achievement in their experiences.