English
Reading
Reading is a fundamental life skill and, therefore, we endeavour to develop the full potential of all our pupils so they leave St. Paul’s as confident, fluent readers.
We encourage all pupils to read widely and to develop their vocabulary and skills of fluency and comprehension, as well as fostering a life-long passion and appreciation for reading. We strive to embed a culture of reading; placing it at the core of all we do. Time to read independently, in a group and as part of a whole class is highly valued and prioritised.
Early reading skills are developed through a structured synthetic phonics programme using Little Wandle. These daily sessions provide pupils with the opportunities to practice and apply skills, such as oral blending, in a structured, engaging way.
Fluent readers, choose books from our Accelerated Reader programme. Accelerated Reader enables us to accurately match reading books to children’s current reading ability. In your child’s reading record we have indicated the colour bands they are currently reading at. Children will generally have 2 – 3 colours that they can choose from.
When they are finished reading their book, children are able to take a short quiz using Accelerated Reader on the computer. We would encourage children to do this (ideally at home) as it allows them to consolidate their understanding of the text they have read. To access the quiz, please login using the link below.
https://global-zone61.renaissance-go.com/welcomeportal/6712704
More details are also contained in the attachment at the bottom of the page - see How To Quiz on AR.
Writing
Writing is a crucial life skill and lies at the heart of our curriculum at St. Pauls. We aim to provide children with the skills to write fluently and communicate their ideas and emotions to others effectively as well as to develop their love for writing across the whole curriculum. Regular opportunities are given across the whole school for children to use and apply the written and spoken language skills they have acquired. This can be through trips and visits, inspiration days exciting hooks to capture their imagination as well as using high quality texts to engage and excite children.
The curriculum across the school is thoroughly thought out and progressive, which ensures children build on their skills and knowledge and have the chance to develop their skills in a range of writing, such as narrative and non-fiction. Children have the opportunity to plan, write, edit and improve their writing and we give lots of opportunities for children to orally rehearse their sentences before they write as we understand that this helps them to write with greater fluency and confidence.
Links and Resources:
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/kids-activities/creative-writing/