English is vital for communicating with others in school and in the wider world, and is fundamental to learning in all curriculum subjects. In studying English, pupils develop skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing that they will need to participate in society in later life. Pupils learn to express themselves creatively and imaginatively and to communicate with others confidently and effectively. Literature in English is rich and influential. It reflects the experiences of people from many countries and times and contributes to our sense of cultural identity.
Pupils learn to become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama as well as non-fiction and media texts, gaining access to the pleasure and world of knowledge that reading offers. Looking at the patterns, structures, origins and conventions of English helps pupils understand how language works. Using this understanding, pupils can choose and adapt what they say and write in different situations, as well as appreciate and interpret the choices made by other writers and speakers.
|
Spoken Language:
We give children many opportunities to express themselves orally and to develop the confidence to speak in both small and large groups for a range of different purposes. We encourage children to listen attentively and responsively in activities including discussion, explanation, following instruction, drama and story time.
|
|
Reading:
Reading is a complex skill and we use a balanced approach of different methods to teach children to read with fluency, understanding and enjoyment. Carefully planned whole class and group work is used to focus on the range of strategies and skills children need to become independent and effective readers. Children also have an individual reading diary. Every day children take books to read and share at home, as part of the homework. All children at Moon's Moat First School have access to an online reading scheme known as Bug Club. All pupils have their own unique username and password, which can be found in their Home/School link book.
Click on the link below to access Bug Club.
|
|
Writing:
Children learn to write for a wide range of different purposes and for a variety of audiences. The skills of spelling and handwriting are taught systematically and are closely linked. The appropriate use of ICT is encouraged.
|
|
Phonics:
Phonics teaching is an essential means for teaching the fundamental skills involved in reading and writing.
Phonics teaching begins as early as Nursery. Children develop an awareness of sounds (sounds in the environment, instrumental sounds, body percussion, rhythm and rhyme, alliteration, voice sounds and oral blending and segmenting).
These aspects are designed to encourage children to listen attentively:
-extend their vocabulary; -speak confidently to adults and other children; -discriminate phonemes; -reproduce audibly the phonemes they hear, in order, all through the word; -use sound-talk to segment words into phonemes;
|
|
Phonics is taught right up to Key Stage Two where children broaden their knowledge of phonemes and graphemes for use in reading and spelling. They will learn new graphemes and alternative pronunciations for these and graphemes they already know.
|
Here is a link to Jolly Phonics songs which children learn in Nursery and Reception classes to link with the teaching of their sounds.