Helping your child with…

Literacy

Click on the pictures above to visit separate areas of literacy.

Speaking and

Listening

Reading Writing Spelling

Speaking and Listening – Why do we teach Speaking and Listening?

Better

speakers

and better

spellers!

Better

speakers

and better

writers!

Better

listeners

learn more!

Better

speakers

are better

readers!

Better

speakers

are more

confident in

articulatin

g

ideas!

So all

children can

communicate

effectively

Speaking and Listening – How do we teach Speaking and Listening?

All adults in school

model correct

speech at all times.

Opportunities for children to talk in class are given in every lesson.

Subject specific

vocabulary is displayed

in all classrooms so

children can use it in

discussionsOpportunities for

children to listen in

class are given in every

session.

Class Charters often centre around the children’s rights to

speaking and listening

Speaking and Listening – How do we make Speaking and Listening fun?

Scripts are often used, especially around

Christmas time and for class assemblies. The

children enjoy performing these.

Children are encouraged to read out their own

work, with the rest of the class listening.

Sharing assemblies are used to allow children to share their work to an

audience.

Classes are paired for “paired” Reading. The older children get the opportunity to model correct speech to

the younger children.

Speaking and Listening – What can you do to help?

Model correct speech with your child at all times

Sensitively correct

errors in speech

Highlight errors in

popular television

shows

Model good

listening skills with

your children

Read with your child on a regular basis

Remember to use

“was” and “were”

correctly

Reading - Why do we teach reading?

So that children

develop a love of books

So children understand what they

read

It is fundamental

to all subjects

To improve children’s

writing and spelling

Reading - How do we teach reading?

We run our finger over

the top of words and

encourage children to

run their finger

underneath words.

We reward children with “Super Reader” badges for reading

books at home.If a child gets stuck

on a word, we give

them the initial

sound.

We encourage the children to read between the lines to further their understanding

We discuss with

the children what

they have read.

Reading - How do we make reading fun?

Each teacher models

reading with the class,

reading books that the

children have chosen.

As well as a “levelled”

book, each class has

library time where the

children can choose

books to read.

We encourage the children to use ICT to read texts.

Each class has SQUIRT (sustained quiet uninterrupted reading time) where children read

for pleasure.

Reading - How can you help?

Talk about the characters and the illustrations from the earliest books

Encourage talk

about the book in

as many ways as

you can

Invent different stories with the characters

Keep things

light-hearted

and fun!

Try to ask questions

in such a way that the

children feel involved

rather than “under

pressure”

Explore “what if” possibilities for the story, or different endings

Encourage the children to use illustrations if they are in the book or draw their own

Read to your child regularly, regardless of year group

Writing – Why do we teach writing?

So children are able to communicate in a variety of

forms using words

So children are able to communicate in a variety of

forms using words

Writing – How do we teach writing?In the early stages we look at letter formation. Every letter starts on the line and ends with a tail, all without the pencil leaving the paper!

In the early stages we look at letter formation. Every letter starts on the line and ends with a tail, all without the pencil leaving the paper!

In Key Stage 1 children

have the opportunity to

write narratives on a

regular basis

In Key Stage 1 children

have the opportunity to

write narratives on a

regular basis

In Key Stage 2 the children look

at the features of all text types,

including biographies, reports,

explanations, persuasive writing

and narrative.

In Key Stage 2 the children look

at the features of all text types,

including biographies, reports,

explanations, persuasive writing

and narrative.

Years 1-4 have a “weekend

journal” which they write in

every week. This makes the

writing personal to the children

Years 1-4 have a “weekend

journal” which they write in

every week. This makes the

writing personal to the children

Children look at examples of famous authors’ writing to see good examples of writing.

Children look at examples of famous authors’ writing to see good examples of writing.

The children are given plenty of opportunities to talk about their writing before, during and after their work.

The children are given plenty of opportunities to talk about their writing before, during and after their work.

Children are given a variety of stimuli to base their writing on

Children are given a variety of stimuli to base their writing on

Writing – How do we make writing fun?

Badges are rewarded for “super

writers”

Children in years 5 and 6 create a school newspaper fortnightly

Writing is

always topic

related

ICT is used

to produce

workIn years 5 and 6 the

children have “Free

Writing” books,

which allows the

children to write for

pleasure. Each class

has a “writer

of the week”

Writing – What can you do to help?

Keep things

light-hearted

and fun!

Encourage the children to keep a diary

Ensure there are

plenty of writing

tools around the

house

Practice cursive

handwriting

regularly

Discourage capital letters in the middle of

words

Give the children opportunities to write; shopping

lists etc...

Allow children access to

word processing

packages so they can

type instead of writing by

hand

Read with your child regularly

PICTURE OF CURSIVE SCRIPT

Spelling - Why do we teach spellings?

So that children become confident

writers.

So that children become confident

writers.

So that children become accurate and

fluent readers

So that children become accurate and

fluent readers

Spelling - How do we teach spellings?

putting the

sounds together

to make words

(p-o-t, i-n,)

putting the

sounds together

to make words

(p-o-t, i-n,)

common blend

sounds (ph, dr,

sp, th,)

common blend

sounds (ph, dr,

sp, th,)

Encourage the use

of word-building

techniques in

reading

Encourage the use

of word-building

techniques in

reading

application of “learned” spellings when writing

application of “learned” spellings when writing

application of “learned” spellings when writing

application of “learned” spellings when writing

Spelling - How do we make spellings fun?

Make up “nonsense” words

that use same letter strings

Make up “nonsense” words

that use same letter strings

Use ICTBBC Website (link)

Woodlands Junior School Website (link) Thesaurus and spell checker

Use ICTBBC Website (link)

Woodlands Junior School Website (link) Thesaurus and spell checker

Identify rhyming words that have the same letter string

Identify rhyming words that have the same letter string

Spelling - What are the “fundamentals” for children?

To practice

letter strings

To practice

letter strings

To practice patterns of letters

To practice patterns of letters

To practice

high frequency

words

To practice

high frequency

words

Spelling - How can you help?

Change the word

to different tenses

i.e. add “ed” “ing”

on the end

Make up a “story” with as many of the spelling list

words in as you can

Think of other words with the same “string” of lettersMake up sentences containing the word

Practice the

spellings as

flexibly and as

often as you can!