Literacy
Children at Clough Head School are taught literacy using the Ruth Miskin ‘Read Write Inc’ phonics programme from Reception Year onwards. For the majority of children they will have completed the programme by the end of Year 2. Our priority is for all children to complete Key Stage 1 being able to read and decode unfamiliar words fluently. The aim of the programme is to get children off the programme.
Children are grouped according to ability and the sounds they recognise and can read. Groups of children are small and consist of approximately 8 children. All groups are taught phonics by a Ruth Miskin trained teacher. For more information please see the links below or come into school to speak to any of our trained members of staff.
Parents may find resources for Read Write Inc useful in supporting their child with reading at home. These resources can be found by following the link to our Heights Federation webpage. Click here for a direct link to the correct section of the Heights website.
-
What if my child has not completed the programme by the end of Year 2?
While the majority of children will have completed the programme by year 2 there will be some children who have not made the expected progress. There may be many reasons for this and is certainly not something that parents should be alarmed about. What we do know about children is that they all learn at different rates.
For those children who have not reached the end of the programme they will continue to work in the smaller phonics focused groups until we feel they are secure to move off the programme. This will be working alongside children of their ability in a supportive environment to ensure they do not have gaps in their phonics knowledge which will impede their learning later on.
It may be appropriate for children to receive 1:1 Read Write Inc boosters if there progress has slowed down. This will be with a RWI trained teacher for 10 minutes each afternoon.
-
What do the Read Write Inc. resources look like?
The RWI resources were purchased within the last three years and are regularly replenished to keep our stocks up to date. They are written in a clear font with illustrations that are engaging and colourful. The paper is coloured so that it can be more easily read by dyslexic pupils. Paper copies of the book your child is reading in their RWI group will be sent home for you to practice together. It is important that children are reading books which are closely matched to their phonics ability and that they are able to decode unfamiliar words successfully. This builds their confidence and allows them to be successful and not guess at words. Children will bring these home once books have been established with their reading group and will be changed weekly. Children may also bring home other books from the classroom and library books they have selected themselves. This is to encourage their reading for pleasure and these are for you to read to your child and share together building their love of reading. These books are suited to a child's comprehension or level of understanding which will be above their reading ability for now.
In each room where Read Write Inc is taught there is a RWI display which shows a consistency throughout school so that children can access the necessary sounds and key words when working in their groups. These evolve as the group works through the programme.
- What else does school do to support my child in literacy?
Reading
Throughout school we are supported by a team of volunteers. Each class has a volunteer that hears children read once a week.. We have seen excellent progress made by children from these sessions are they are thoroughly enjoyed by both the reading volunteers and the children alike.
Stiles
Stiles is a comprehension aid that we use in school with pupils to support their understanding of text. This is mostly used for our older children and is a current intervention being run for Class 3 pupils to ensure they have a good understanding of the text and what they have read.
- What is in place for my child if they are working above the national expectations in literacy?
For some children literacy is a natural gift and they excel in this area. Where this is the case the school follows recent government guidance which advocates children working within their own year groups to deepen and broaden children’s knowledge and understanding in all areas of the curriculum. We have several ways in which we can nurture children’s talents and enthusiasm in literacy. We also celebrate World Book Day which highlights the importance of reading, sharing and enjoying books both individually and with others. There is a library for children to select books for reading pleasure.
- How are reading books organised?
Each class has their own system for organising and issuing reading books for children to take home. This will be set out for parents at the beginning of the school year. For some children still learning the phonics code it will be appropriate for them to bring home phonics based books and for others they will be encouraged to broaden their reading through selecting free choice books both fiction and non-fiction. If you have any questions about the reading books your child is bringing home please see your child’s class teacher.
- What is the expectation for me as a parent to support my child’s literacy development?
We advocate that parents hear their child read at least twice a week and write the books they have read along with a comment in their child’s planner. This helps the class teacher to track what children are reading and interested in outside of school and when children are ready for their books to be changed. We know that a strong home-school partnership benefits children greatly and you know your children best. However, the more you hear your child read the better and the results will be evident.
It is not just hearing your child read but also reading to your child. Whatever their age and ability, reading to children has huge benefits as children can often understand more complex texts than they can read themselves and through reading to them you will be opening up a whole world of new vocabulary, ideas and interests that will help their imaginations grow.
- What do I do if I have concerns about my child’s progress in literacy?
In the first instance you should speak to your child’s class teacher. They may already have things in place to support your child or can make arrangements for children to have additional time working on areas which are of concern. The class teacher will also liaise with the SENCO and other colleagues who may be able to support your child.
- How does the school track and monitor my child’s literacy development?
It is the responsibility of the class teacher to track and monitor your child’s progress in all subject areas. Children have a set of learning statements which they should meet at the end of the year. If your child has met all of these and demonstrated an understanding of the learning required for their year group then we refer to them as being at the expected level. If your child has not yet met all the objectives for their year group and requires time to estabish these we say they are emerging. If your child is working beyond the levels expected of a child in their year group and is developing a greater depth of knowledge we say they are at greater depth or exceeding the expectation for their age group.
Each term the class teacher meets with the head to look at the progress of all the pupils in their class. This helps to identify as early as possible any children who are not making the expected progress, those who are on track and any children exceeding the progress expected of a pupil of that age group. Appropriate provision can then be made to support and extend pupils appropriately. You will receive regular information about your child's progress thoughout the year through information sent home to you as data reports, full school reports and parents evening appointments.
- What does the government say about literacy?
Please click here for the link to the government national curriculum documents for English.
- Who oversees literacy across school?
Literacy is led by Mrs Wood with the support of other members of the school team. Miss Walton oversees Read Write Inc and the progress of pupils who are following this programme. They are responsible for ensuring the delivery of the school’s English policy and phonics teaching which reflects government guidelines. Mrs Kenworthy the Head Teacher has overall responsibility and feeds back on a regular basis to the literacy governor.