English
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English is a core subject taught on a daily basis in all year groups. English lessons are planned and taught to develop the children’s reading, writing and SPAG skills.
Reading
The programs of study for reading at key stage one and key stage two consist of word reading and comprehension (both listening and reading). Comprehension skills develop through pupils’ experience of high-quality discussion with the teacher, as well as from reading and discussing a range of stories, poems and non-fiction. All pupils are encouraged to read widely across both fiction and non-fiction to develop their knowledge of themselves and the world they live in, to establish an appreciation and love of reading, and to gain knowledge across the curriculum. Reading widely and often increases pupils’ vocabulary because they encounter words they would rarely hear or use in everyday speech. Reading also feeds pupils’ imagination and opens up a treasure house of wonder and joy for curious young minds.
Writing
The programs of study for writing at key stage one and key stage two consist of transcription (spelling and handwriting) and composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing). It is essential that teaching develops pupils’ competence in these two dimensions. In addition, pupils are taught how to plan, revise and evaluate their writing. These aspects of writing have been incorporated into the programs of study for composition.
SPAG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar)
Each week children are given spellings to take home and practice for the following week. These spellings are age appropriate and follow the national curriculum.
At Smawthorne Henry Moore we are conscious of making sure the children use Standard English.Throughout the programs of study, teachers teach pupils the vocabulary they need to discuss their reading, writing and spoken language. It is important that pupils learn the correct grammatical terms in English and that these terms are integrated within teaching. Opportunities to enhance pupils’ vocabulary arise naturally from their reading and writing. As vocabulary increases, teachers show pupils how to understand the relationships between words, how to understand nuances in meaning, and how to develop their understanding of, and ability to use, figurative language. They also teach pupils how to work out and clarify the meanings of unknown words and words with more than one meaning.
