English
Spelling and Phonics
At Grovelands we teach phonics daily through the DFE approved scheme called ‘SoundsWrite’ where children learn the symbols to represent sounds. This is a structured, multi-sensory, incremental and code oriented instructional approach which teaches children to both read and spell. Using this, we teach the children phonics in the context of whole words, and with reading, writing and spelling practise built into every lesson. This begins in Reception where children will learn the initial code, runs into key stage 1 where they children learn the extended code, and is continued into key stage 2 where the lessons are used to consolidate the code and the children taught how to use it for decoding and spelling polysyllabic words. For more information, go to: https://www.sounds-write.co.uk/page-69-about.aspx
Children in key stages 1 and 2 also have several spelling lessons a week, where we look at spelling rules and word classes.
Reading
At Grovelands we aim to foster a love of reading and promote reading for pleasure in our children, as we recognise how this can affect their access to all other areas of the curriculum. We try to model this, and use quality texts across the curriculum.
SoundsWrite provides an excellent foundation for our reading teaching at Grovelands, and the children practise their skills in three ways:
- Reading to an adult (independent) using fully decodable books using the sounds they know
- Reading with an adult using colour code books at their level, but containing more opportunity for comprehensions and applying other decoding cues
- Reading by an adult so that they are exposed to higher level, more interesting text and can focus on comprehension skills
Children have access to all of these books in classrooms and via our well stocked library, which is open during class times and some break times, and managed by our team of fully trained year six librarians.
In class children participate in both guided (reception and key stage 1) and whole class reading (key stages 1 and 2) on a daily basis, where they read aloud to increase their fluency, and work together with the teacher to develop the skills of comprehension known as VIPERS (Vocabulary, Inference, Prediction, Explanation Retrieval, Sequence/Summarise).
Writing
We recognise the important role that reading has in writing, so use quality texts wherever possible as models for our own writing. At Grovelands, we have our own bespoke teaching sequence known as the ‘Grovelands Writing Process’ which we have developed to include a variety of different writing methods:
- Spark: an experience to give children a purpose and context for their writing.
- Preparation: Looking at an exemplar of what they will write, picking out the features and language, and planning their own writing.
- Rehearsal: Practising parts of the writing, including the grammar needed or specific features, orally as well as written, with the teacher modelling.
- Writing: This always begins with shared writing with the teacher who models how to turn a plan into a piece of writing, and the children will produce their own piece (known as ‘Superwrite’), sometimes over a number of days.
- Editing: Checking for errors and improving what they have written.
This process is followed for all pieces of writing, sometimes over a few lessons, sometimes over a few weeks for a more extended piece. We aim to cover a wide range of genres which are taught as daily lessons in a block, ending in a piece of writing at the end.
Spark
⇓
Preparation
⇓
Rehearsal
⇓
Writing
⇓
Editing