English

English at CAW

At CAW, English comprises of Writing and Reading lessons, each taught discreetly, daily. For Early Years and Key Stage 1 this is made up of Talk For Write and Read Write Inc Phonics and in Key Stage Two this is made up of Talk for Write and Reading Reconsidered.

Talk For Writing – Our Approach To Writing

From Early Years through to Year 6 English is taught through the use of high quality, engaging texts written or inspired by skilled authors. Examples of these include Naughty Bus by Jan Oak in Reception, Stone Age Boy by Satoshi Kitamura in Year 2, The Firework Maker’s Daughter by Phillip Pullman in Year 3 and Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver in Year 6. We follow a pattern of imitation (learning and unpicking a model text), innovation (gaining confidence in adapting the model text whilst still practicing the key skills) and inventing (applying skills in a less structured, more independent way). Grammar and spelling are taught, in context, throughout these sequences. Careful medium-term planning ensures that fiction, non-fiction and poetry is taught each term and at least one piece of work is ‘published’.

Read Write Inc – Our Approach to Early Reading

From Early Years through to Year 2 children at CAW are taught to read using the principles of Read Write Inc. This graduated approach ensures that children learn the basics of reading in a stepped approach, each new book building on the previous. Once children complete the programme, they become a ‘Rainbow Reader’ where they are supported in becoming even more fluent and comprehensive readers. Once children move to KS2 some may continue to require specific phonics teaching. Where necessary, this is continued until the child is a confident, fluent reader.

Reading Reconsidered – Our Approach to KS2 Reading

Reading from Year 3 – Year 6 is taught as whole class lessons using high quality texts. Each child has a copy of the text they use to track when being read to and read from when reading aloud or independently. Teachers use the Reading Reconsidered approaches alongside the National Curriculum statements to compose engaging comprehension and discussion questions which aim to improve children’s vocabulary and understanding of what they have read. Alongside these novels, usually 3 per academic year, pupils regularly study Complementary Texts (which could be extracts from similar texts or different versions of the same text) and Non Fiction Texts (which work to give the children a deeper understanding of their novel – for example, when studying The Girl Who Speaks Bear by Sophie Anderson in Year 5, children read a non-fiction article about traditional Russian folktales which are prominent in the novel). Often, the reading texts inspire writing units.