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- 1. English at StChristopher September 2016
- 2. Planning We use thesedocuments to plan our whole class teaching. ⢠Curriculum maps ⢠PoS for Reading and Writing (rainbow document) ⢠Information from Big Writing assessments, reading assessments, Spy Time, sample/past papers and exemplification materials.
- 3. Big Writing ⢠Extendedwriting (Big Writes) should happen as frequently as is appropriate with a minimum of two per half term. ⢠Extended writing should be evident across the curriculum. ⢠VCOP activities should begin each session. ⢠Writing is modelled before independent tasks. ⢠Big Writes are marked using the marking policy. ⢠Teachers remind children in all sessions to use their RWI/Fresh Start/Literacy and Language strategies whenever they are reading and writing.
- 4. Assessing Writing ⢠Writingis assessed using the Big Writing criterion scale sheets. ⢠By each assessment point, there should be a good mixture of fiction, non-fiction and theme linked writing. ⢠Short term writing targets are used from Year 1 to 6. Targets should be skills that have already been taught. They should be written on a post-it with the date and taken to every lesson where they will be writing.
- 5. Spelling ⢠RWI spellingin all Language and Literacy groups ⢠Spellings for RWI groups will be given out during the extended session on Wednesdays ⢠Word lists ⢠Years 1 to 4 Spellings will go home on Wednesday after the extended session. Years 5 and 6 on a Friday.
- 6. Handwriting ⢠P system- related to individual children ⢠Gross to fine motor skills ⢠Choice of books ⢠Handwriting of teachers ⢠P ⢠Awarding of pens ⢠Handwriting needs to be taught.
- 7. Big Reading andSpy Time ⢠Organise Spy Time within your class. ⢠Use four characters to differentiate between comprehension skills. ⢠Use Mini Missions to teach and assess.
- 8. Home Reading, Libraryand Literature Spine ⢠Home Reading â ⢠New timetable and folders for library ⢠Use Literature Spine books in story time or for English lessons
- 9. Assessing Reading ⢠Readingis assessed using the Big Reading criterion scale sheets. ⢠Ensure that evidence is gathered from reading records/RWI groups and guided reading sessions not just the comprehension conversation
Editor's Notes
- #3Â AMY The curriculum maps show the National Curriculum objectives broken down into the different areas of English and the term that we think they should be taught in. Year 2 and 6 have no new objectives in the Summer term to support preparation for assessments. It is important that previous objectives are referred back to and re-taught if needed. The Programme of Study for Reading and Writing will hopefully be useful for progression (other curriculum maps should also be used) and to provide an overview of English coverage. The reading objectives can be covered in Spy Time, class story time and will be covered within RWI, Fresh Start and Language and Literacy. We are hoping to spend some time in a staff meeting mapping out text types/writing ideas for the year â linked to themes and what worked well last year.
- #4Â AMY In whole class English lessons and Theme lessons there should be opportunities to write for an extended period of time. Children should be confident with the text type that they are using. Letter to Clair In the past, we have done a whole school letter in the first week but as we now use the criterion scale for planning and assessing this is not necessary and we would like you to use the first few weeks to begin to teach and address the gaps from the end of the previous year. You may still want to write a letter but this can form part of your ongoing assessment and does not need to be individually assessed. RACHEL Having taught new National Curriculum for a year we would like to know which parts were more challenging to teach or that you felt less confident with. Record on paper â with curriculum maps, etc.
- #5Â RACHEL The Big Writing criterion scale sheets will be included in the English resources folder that we will email to you there are also paper copies here should you want them. Changes to assessment from new assessment materials: The writing criterion sheets have been updated to reflect the requirements for meeting statutory assessments at the end of Foundation/KS1 and KS2. KS1 and KS2 remain interim frameworks again but the sheets have objectives hi-lighted which will mean that they can be used to decide whether children are meeting those standards without the need for extra work. Iâve added in objectives in some of the criteria or broken down objectives to suit this purpose. Most: statement is generally met in all pieces with only occasional errors Some: indicates that the skill/knowledge is starting to be acquired and is demonstrated correctly on occasion but is not frequent or consistent Handwriting: at KS 1 this is now a compulsory âCanâ statement to achieve the end of KS 1 standard. For Year 6 as with last year, it will not stop the child achieving the expected standard but will stop them getting At Greater depth Spelling: the spelling objectives are not just about the high frequency words they are also about the rules and words outlined in the NC Appendix 1 Short term writing targets were introduced to give children a reminder or simple next step. For example, they may need to include full stops or higher level conjunctions. They should be used in every lesson where the child is writing including theme and science. Children need to see the importance of the quality of what they are writing even if it is only a sentence or two. . Year 1 introduce targets part way through the year when the children are able to use them.
- #6Â RACHEL You will receive the childrenâs log book and work book from class teachers this week . I suggest that the first sessions are spent reviewing units the children have already covered to ensure retention. The tests are in the folder which will be emailed to you. You should all have log ins for the website . Year 4 children will continue to have the extended session on a Wednesday morning. Word Lists: in the folder there are also all of the high frequency/unusual words that are alluded to in a variety of different documents. I have emalgamated them all so that year groups have a definitive list without having to refer to a variety of different documents. So now anything which is mentioned in Pos/ reading criterion scales or writing criterion scales means this list of words. These words should form part of the weekly spellings which go home for all groups regardless of whether they are RWI or L and L so please make sure that you have printed of a copy of the relevant year group. Class teachers over the next few weeks please make sure that children are accurate on previous year group word lists and create interventions if needed. We will find that the next year and possibly further for KS2 is not only about pushing standards forwards but also plugging gaps so children particularly in 4/5/6 will not only need words from their current year group but possibly ones from previous years. All children because of the extended word lists will have new words each week but if on Spelling Programme will still only have a new unit probably every 2 weeks.
- #7Â RACHEL P is against their own standard, however after several sessions need to see improvement. Be tough! From y1 onwards. Foundation to use if they feel itâs appropriate Use of wake and shake /writing in air etc Use of handwriting books ( line width matches that in their exercise books) change books if you feel youâve got it wrong! Only move children towards the thinner lines if they are ready thatâs why the policy says ideally! You may end up with children on different sized lines in your class- live with it! Anything that is handwritten needs to be in the style closest to that used by the majority of your class- marking/certificates et c Children who get p lined need to go to their standards leader who will then decide a suitable time for re-writing Child to be sent with their books showing handwriting at a consistent standard over several pieces of work. All joins formed correctly / consistent letter size . Children to then produce a piece of work for display
- #8Â AMY Hopefully everyone is now very familiar with the four Big Reading characters and the mini missions. Quick recap â Rex the retriever (for teaching retrieval), Expi the explorer (looking at the authorâs choices and exploring the text in detail), Ansa the analyser (looking at text types and features) and Dood the detective (for teaching deduction and inference skills). Mini missions are used to assess and teach reading objectives â we want people to feel that they can use Spy Time sessions to meet the needs of the class â you could organise the session as whole class teaching or teach a group - the children could then work on the objective in subsequent sessions. I have an example of a timetable that organises these sessions if anyone is interested. From last yearâs assessments we know that children need to be exposed to high quality and higher level texts and understanding of vocabulary was a big focus. Have high expectations for where they are working - If they come out as 2 within, spy time sessions need to be about working in 2 secure and beyond â band higher in spy time than home reading.
- #9Â RACHEL Class teachers must have systems in place to monitor and support those children who are not being heard. Also ensure that systems are in place to ensure that children are changing books regularly especially if they are free readers. Please make sure that reading diaries have new labels on the front and that they have the reading diary insert on the inside cover. If an adult in school hears them read please ensure that the diary is signed and TA/T/Governor/additional adult written. The latest reading records are updated and in the folder that will be emailed to you. Outside year 3 Amy has organised a range of books from the lowest levels up to gold so that children from KS2 do not have to go to KS1 to get books. White/lime and silver are still located in the KS2 corridor . The silver band has now been broken down into beginning, within and secure so that it is easier for the children to locate a book. If a child comes back with a book that is not on the list please do not just add it to the bottom of the list as it may have been banded incorrectly. Add it to the box outside my office. Guided reading books from white band upwards have all been rebanded and have new labels on the packets which indicate which standard they are for and whether they are beginning/within or secure. Silver â broken into beginning, within and secure. In the folder there is also a grid which indicates what is age appropriate for each group which will hopefully be useful when reporting to parents.
- #10Â RACHEL Using comprehension conversations when needed not just in assessment week â may ease pressure in assessment week The comprehension conversation should be used to back up your judgement and consolidate the judgements that youâve come to during the term. The gaps should then be addressed during the next term. Write on assessment sheets which book/part has been used in comprehension conversations so the next teacher can choose a different book/part. Again as with the writing these have been updated in line with end of Foundation/KS1 and KS2 statutory expectations.