Reading

At Manor Park we aim to foster a love of reading in all our children. We believe reading is a life long skill and is the key to success in all areas of learning. The children take part in guided reading sessions for half an hour each day, where they read as a whole class or individually, take part in drama activities and comprehension tasks linked to their class book. The children read ‘real’ books that are slightly beyond their reading age to encourage the development of both reading and language skills.

The children are encouraged to read at home each day (at least 3 times per week) and reading at home is celebrated each Friday in our Celebration Assembly. A King and Queen of reading is chosen from each class. The king and queen of reading choose a book to take home as recognition of their work.

Each class has a ‘reading stars’ display, where the children move along the stars each time they read at home. Certificates are given out for 25, 50 and 75 reads and a special head teacher ‘well done’ is given out for 100 reads.

Additionally, we have special reading events such as dressing up as a favourite character for World Book Day, reading mornings with parents and have links with the local library, where the children pay visits for story time.

 Our curriculum ensures the children are confident at both:

• Word reading and
• Comprehension (understanding what they have read).

The children are encouraged to read at least three times a week at home

Word Reading

In Nursery the children learn to:

• Recognise words that are important to the children (e.g. mum, dad)
• Recognise familiar signs (supermarket signs).
• Recognise their own name.
• Recognising individual letters or beginning sounds of words (e.g. s, a, t, p)

In Reception the children learn to:

• Reading CVC words (e.g. cat, hen, pin, sat)
• Read CVCC  words (e.g. fish, push, jump)
• Read full sentences containing the sounds they have learnt
• Read some common exception words

In year 1 the children learn to:

• Read longer words (of more than one syllable (e.g
• Read words with contractions (I’ll, We’ll)
• Read unfamiliar words by using their phonics

In year 2 the children learn to:

• Read quickly and accurately without overt sounding out.
• Check their reading makes sense and self correct.

Comprehension

We aim to share a variety of genres with all the children. Each year, the children build a new collection of ‘books we know’.

In Nursery these include:

• Nursery Rhymes;
• Stories with patterns and repetition;
• Stories with familiar settings.

In Reception the children enjoy reading:

• Stories with familiar settings;
• Stories with patterns and repetition;
• Information books;
• Stories linked to topic learning.

In Year 1 the children enjoy reading:

• Stories from around the world;
• Poetry;
• Information books;
• Dictionaries
• Letters.

In year 2 the children also read:

• Longer chapter books;
• Information books;
• Poetry;
• Diaries.

Writing

Writing in Early Years

Manor Park’s Foundation Unit provides a writing enabling environment both inside and out that is real and purposeful. Children have access to a wide range of resources including whiteboards and pens, chalks, malleable play, sand, water, paints, etc. Great importance is given to displaying and valuing children’s emergent writing and drawing. In early years, children also develop their spoken vocabulary in a wide range of speaking and listening opportunities.

In Nursery, children learn to:

• Sometimes give meaning to marks they make as they draw, write and paint.
• Ascribe meanings to marks they see in different places.
• Write their own name
• Begin to hear and say the initial letters in words, e.g. s,a,t,p,i,n

In Reception children learn to:

• Segment the sounds in simple words and blend to write.
• Link sounds to letters, naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet.
• Use clearly identifiable letters to communicate meaning, representing some sounds correctly and in sequence.
• Write own name, labels and captions.
• Attempt to write short sentences in meaningful contexts.
• Children use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds.
• Write some irregular common words
• Write sentences that can be read by themselves and others (ELG)
• Spell some words correctly and others that are phonetically plausible. (ELG)
• Use writing targets in their writing and respond to feedback.

The programme of study for writing at key stage 1 is as follows:

• transcription (spelling and handwriting)
• composition (articulating ideas and structuring them in speech and writing)

Teaching at Manor Park develops pupils’ competence in these 2 dimensions. In addition, pupils are taught how to plan, revise and evaluate their writing. Writing down their ideas fluently depends on effective transcription: that is, on spelling quickly and accurately through knowing the relationship between sounds and letters (phonics) and understanding the morphology (word structure) and orthography (spelling structure) of words. Effective composition involves articulating and communicating ideas, and then organising them coherently for a reader. This requires clarity, awareness of the audience, purpose and context, and an increasingly wide knowledge of vocabulary and grammar. Writing also depends on fluent, legible and, eventually, speedy handwriting.

Writing in KS1

In KS1 we offer an integrated topic based approach to writing and use quality texts and ‘WOW’ moments to engage our pupils and make learning purposeful and fun.

In KS1 the teaching of writing is carefully structured as follows:

Shared Writing:

• Shared writing provides opportunities for teachers to demonstrate writing, including the thought processes that are required. Teachers make explicit references to different genre features, as well as word and sentence level work within the context of writing. Pupils contribute to the class composition by sharing their ideas with partners, in small groups or using individual whiteboards.  This allows them to discuss, verbalise and refine ideas before committing to writing.

Guided Writing

• Children work in ability groups to produce a piece of writing with the support and guidance of the teacher and their group.

Independent Writing

• Children are given opportunities to focus on their writing targets and to apply these independently.

Handwriting

• We aim for pupils to develop a neat, legible and speedy handwriting style. Daily handwriting opportunities provide children’ to develop their handwriting skills and develop a personal sense of pride in the presentation of their work.

Spelling Grammar and Punctuation (SPaG)

• Each week in KS1, pupils are taught explicit skills in SPaG to develop their knowledge of sentence and spelling structures. Children also receive daily phonic lessons which focus on the spelling structure of words.  Children are expected to spell words from Manor Park’s list of non-negotiable words (year group appropriate).

The Environment for Writing

• Children’s writing is displayed in all classrooms and each half term a special piece of writing is showcased on the ‘Wonderful Writing’ displays throughout the corridors. This gives pupils a real sense of purpose to their writing and helps to develop pride in presenting their very best work. 

Writing Targets

• To support progression in writing we use a series of child-friendly symbols,  These symbols are used from Reception to Year 2 and children are taught to self-assess against these symbols.

Skills and Golden Books

• Children have English skills books where they develop the  skills required to produce a piece of writing that is marked in depth; this piece is written in their ‘gold book’ Children are given marked feedback using two stars and a wish and then are given opportunities to respond to this feedback.  This ‘golden write’ and responding to feedback occurs once a week in KS1. 

Topic Books

• Writing opportunities for children to develop their writing skills across the curriculum are planned in weekly.