Overview
In English teaching we aim to inspire children to be confident and excited readers and writers, who want to learn. This is done by a carefully planned curriculum, which has a range of starting points, and strategies and is linked to the meet the requirements of the new National Curriculum introduced in 2014.
Each week the children participate in whole-class reading lessons linked to their writing focus or topic. Children have access to a range of materials and wide variety of resources that encourage high quality literacy experiences and we are adding to these regularly to ensure they are exciting and support the children’s needs.
In reading we aspire to foster a love of reading and stories. We do this by giving children access to high quality texts from a range of different genres. We are continually updating our reading resources, and library books to reflect the needs of the children. Within classrooms, we are aiming to have a wide variety of age-appropriate books to use as a stimulus for writing and reading.
We have whole class reading lessons based on developing fluency and comprehension skills. Using the reading domains, the children are given opportunities to practise their inference, prediction, summarising, explanation, retrieval and summarising skills (VIPERS) and the children learn new vocabulary from the texts we use which we then look for in their spoken language and their writing.
In writing, there is an expectation that children use joined handwriting, taught through teacher modelling and early morning work. The skills of grammar and punctuation are embedded across the curriculum and children apply these in their writing in all subjects. In writing, we use a wide range starting points, including: drama, picture books, children’s fiction, visitors, visits, pictures and video. By providing a variety of inspiring sources, the children are engaged and keen to learn. The children write for a variety of audiences, as well as covering different genres of writing for nonfiction and fiction. All tasks are differentiated as are the success criteria for each lesson.
In spelling, we follow the National Curriculum guidelines for Statutory and Non-Statutory words. Where possible, links are made to learn spelling patterns in reading and writing in English lessons. We are looking at how we teach spelling for the future.
Parents are encouraged to play an important role in this by attending workshops, information sharing events, as well as book week activities. We also encourage the children to read at home regularly as part of their homework.
Author Visit 21st May 2019
On Tuesday 21st May all of the Junior School children had a visit from the author Jack Trelawny. He read from his first book The Crystal Pool, which talked about two children visiting Cornwell and the adventures that they got into.
Jack told us about being an author and how he came by his ideas, using a collection of unusual pictures and words. He said he collected these together to make his stories, he showed the children some of his unusual pictures of animals and explained how he would take these to start to ask questions. Then using the questions, pictures and words he could start to create stories. Jack encourage all the children to do this, as we can all be authors.
Lastly he spoke about his new series of books based on thirteen things of interest at the British Museum, he is going to write a story for each of them, the first one being The Emperors Rhinoceros.
Reading Gladiators
The rigorous requirements of the reading framework require deep engagement and response to texts. Reading Gladiators can help prepare pupils for these demands in an engaging way, within the context of reading for pleasure. Immersing children in quality, demanding and varied books. Participation in high level discussion helps develop deeper reading skills, builds reading stamina and helps to nurture adventurous readers.
Reading Gladiators Year 6
The Y6 gladiators have been reading their first book, A Wrinkle in Time. The story is very unusual as it is both adventure and science fiction. They have all enjoyed reading it as it has broadened their experiences into new genre.
The story is about Meg Murray, a high-school-aged girl who is transported on an adventure through time and space with her younger brother Charles Wallace and her friend Calvin O’Keefe to rescue her father, a gifted scientist, from the evil forces that hold him prisoner on another planet. They have to travel across space and time to win their father back.
Our reviews
I really enjoyed the book, I enjoyed reading about Meg because at the end she became the heroine of the story. At the start she was very timid and not much of a strong character. By the end she saved everyone which was good.
It was a surprise as it was a Science Fiction book, I love this genre of book. It was not all Sci Fi which I really liked as it had a story aspect to it as well. It was a bit of both. I really enjoyed it.
The story was very clever, it was science fiction and adventure, not at all what I was expecting. Everything was very clever. I was surprised by the character of Calvin, as he was really supportive to Meg throughout the story.
I liked this book, it is not one I would have chosen myself. I really liked it. Charles Wallace was an unusual character as I did not expect him to be taken over by IT.
My favourite character was Charles Wallace also, he reminded me of someone I know. Zane
I really liked the Space theme, I liked the genre of Science Fiction, and it is not something I would have read normally. Once I started reading it I really enjoyed it. When Charles Wallace went to IT that was sad as I was not expecting that.
Workshops
Accelerated Reader
Accelerated Reader Summer Term 2019
This term we have been able to add two more names to “Millionaire Words Row” on our display board. Well done to Chloe and Blake, in year 6 for this achievement. Well done to Sam in year 6 for repeating this achievement 3 times and reading over 3 million words this year!
Each week we have awarded a trophy to the class in each year group who has achieved the highest number of points on their quizzes in the previous 5 days. Now we have come to the end of the school year, we can announce the 4 classes who have earnt the highest number of points throughout the year. Congratulations go to: CP3, RB4, RL5 and KH6.
Please do keep reading during the summer; Dereham Library is holding their annual summer reading challenge, and many books are now on the Accelerated Reader scheme so you can quiz yourself on your summer reading as soon as you get back to school and start earning those points!
Thank you parents for continuing to listen to your child read and for encouraging them in their reading at home and at school.
K.Hughes
Spring Term 2019
The children have continued to work hard in reading this term and we have introduced an Accelerated Reader Challenge trophy for the class in each year group who takes the most quizzes each week. This term congratulations goes to: CP3, RB4, RL5 and AW6 for earning the most points in their year groups. We have also had some more Word Millionnaires! Well done to Edward, Przemyslaw and Jack in year 6 and Willow and Sienna both in year 5 for reading over one million words in their reading books since September!
In addition to this, we have two boys who have read over two million words each since September! – Well done.
Autumn Term 2018
It has been great to see so many children taking quizzes on their accelerated reading books this term, and really enjoying reading. Well done too, to classes CP3, RB4, RL5 and KH6 for achieving the highest number of points earned on quizzes taken so far since September. Huge congratulations go to Sam in year 6 for becoming our first Reading Millionaire, having read over one million words since the beginning of the school year! Currently, he has read over 1, 127, 378 words – well done Sam.