English
At Langdale, high quality and impactful English teaching is prioritised, not only in English lessons but across the curriculum. Children meet rich and stimulating texts that become central to writing, reading and cross-curricular learning. Class teachers chose and share a high-quality class novel each half-term that links with the current school topic. The text is then used to teach a wide breadth of English curriculum skills, as well as cross-curricular links to other subject areas. This cross-curricular learning builds young learner's confidence and skills in writing in all aspects of the curriculum.
In writing lessons, staff carefully teach children to reflect and 'up-level' their own work. This is aided through personalised feedback – both verbal and written. Children are given many opportunities to carry out extended pieces of purposeful writing for a range of different audiences. Each unit of work, or writing 'opportunity', is carefully planned with the spelling, punctuation and grammatical skills that children must learn as they progress through school. Teachers use the Chris Quigley Essential Milestones to map and sequence these skills to ensure children become confident and proficient writers. Please see this Essentials Curriculum document below. Our cyclical writing curriculum also gives children the opportunity to revisit and reaffirm prior learning, ensuring skills taught are committed to children's long term memory.
Teachers across the school bring reading to life for Langdale Learners through guided reading sessions, where children have the opportunity to share and discuss a text in more detail within small groups. Children also access regular reading comprehension sessions, where they practise the reading skills of predicting, clarifying, questioning and summarising. Teachers listen to children reading both in groups and individually to build up fluency and expression. Time is committed in every class timetable to daily 'class novel' time, allowing children to fall in love with a book as well as hearing teachers and staff modelling reading intonation and voice.
Phonics/ Early Reading
EYFS and KS1 children are taught phonics using the systematic, synthetic phonics programme 'Read Write Inc.' The 'Read Write Inc.' programme meets the higher expectations of the National Curriculum and uses effective assessment to accelerate every child's progress and ensure every child learns to read to the best of their ability. Children begin daily phonics lessons from Autumn 1 in Reception after developing their phonemic awareness in our Nursery. Alongside this programme, children's phonic understanding is prioritised across our learning environments and experiences in the EYFS and KS1. See further links below for more information regarding the 'Read Write Inc.' phonics scheme including a progression summary outlining the reading book and sound knowledge expectations as children progress from EYFS-Year 2.
Early Literacy at Langdale revolves around a rich and broad early writing and reading curriculum, ensuring every Langdale Learner develops a love of literacy from an early age. Children are exposed to rich, ambitious and diverse texts, which helps to frame learning across the curriculum. Teachers and support staff also listen to children read regularly and are able to offer 1:1 support to our youngest readers. Careful phonics and reading interventions are in place for children requiring extra support. Children are also read to in small groups daily as part of the Read Write Inc scheme and are also encouraged to ask and answer questions about the text to develop their comprehension skills. EYFS and KS1 children also partake in regular trips to Ambleside Library to encourage children to develop a love for reading in the real world. A day in our EYFS/KS1 classroom is not complete without a story. Children find relevant, high quality texts surrounding their classroom and enjoy being read to, with and listened to by all staff members.
Read Write Inc- Progression Summary
Spelling
At Langdale, both KS1 and KS2 are taught the spelling rules for each year group as stated in the National Curriculum. We use the 'Spelling Shed' resources to help teach children common spelling patterns and word structures to embed learning. For further information about how your child will be taught spelling, please see year group spelling rule expectations from the National Curriculum linked below.
Accelerated Reader
We are delighted to have introduced the 'Accelerated Reader' programme for our KS2 children at the beginning of 2022. This programme puts students in the driver’s seat with their home reading choices. Children move onto this programme following the RWI phonics storybooks. Staff guide students, while engaging quizzes and activities help hone students’ reading skills with authentic practice—encouraging growth. Teachers can then use the data provided by these regular quizzing opportunities to provide tailored next steps during reading lessons.
This programme is now well established within school and we have seen the wonderful impact of putting children in charge of their own home reading journeys. As well as significant attainment progress, we have seen children's love for reading grow and the school library has never been so well used and loved! We look forward to continuing to stock the library with fantastic books for children at all levels of the AR programme.
Useful links
Parent guide to RWI phonics: https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/reading-schemes-oxford-levels/read-write-inc-phonics-guide/
https://www.phonicsplay.co.uk/
Book Trust- Home reading advice: https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/tips-and-advice/reading-tips/