Middleton Community Primary School
English
Poetry Slam and Visit from local poet Andy Tooze
Middleton Community Primary School
Handwriting Scheme
Information for Parents
At Middleton, we use the Letterjoin handwriting scheme throughout school. Letterjoin uses a progressive and multisensory approach in order to ensure children become comfortable and fluent writers with excellent presentation.
Middleton Community Primary School Chosen Font
Correct Pencil Grip
Middleton Community Primary School
“Talk For Writing” Approach
Talk for Writing Information for Parents
Middleton Community Primary School implemented the Talk for Writing approach to learning English in September 2021. It is creative, yet rigorous approach developed by the author Pie Corbett. It is fundamentally based on the key principles of how children learn.
Talk for Writing enables children to imitate the key language patterns they need for a particular text type orally before they try reading and analysing it. Though fun activities that help them to rehearse the tune of the language they need, followed by shared writing to show them how to craft their writing, children are helped to write in the same style.
The process includes three main stages, usually taught over three weeks:
|
Have a go task!
|
We begin the teaching and learning process with a ‘cold’ writing task. This means the children have a go at writing in the text type they will learn about. Teachers use this piece of writing to identify strengths and set individual targets. |
|
Imitation Let’s imitate! |
A text is introduced and read to the children; together the class learn to tell the story. To help the children remember a multi-sensory approach is used: -A visual story map -Actions -Using an animated, lively expression As the children learn the stories word for word, they develop the use of specific sentence structures and language patterns that suit the text type. The principle is that if a child can tell a story, they will be able to write a story. During this first stage we also use a range of drama games to develop an understanding of the story and begin to build up a washing line in our classroom with posters reminding children of the learning journey so far. |
|
Innovation Let’s innovate! |
The children explore different ways they could change aspects of the original text, for example changing characters, setting or writing from a different point of view. They then make changes to their story map and orally tell this new story. Through shared and guided writing, the children write this new version in manageable sections. During this week, we teach spelling and grammar in the context of the story. This stage is very supportive so children gain confidence and know what they need to do in order to get better. |
|
Invention Let’s invent! Show what you know! |
In this final stage, the children use all the skills they have learnt so far to write an independent ‘hot’ piece. We call this the ‘Show what you know’ task. There is a freedom to draw upon their own ideas, or they can ‘hug closely’ to the original shared text should they need to. Teachers use this task to assess how much progress the children have made. The children present their work by either publishing, presenting or reading out loud to peers to celebrate their successes. |
Schools around the country, which have embedded the Talk for Writing approach, have been successful in raising attainment and improving progress of children’s writing. At Middleton, we are thoroughly enjoying teaching and learning in this style and it already is showing how our children are wonderful story-tellers.
Visit Talk for Writing for more information.
Middleton Community Primary Reading Scheme
At Middleton, we want to all children to become competent and confident readers who develop a lifelong love of books and stories. In order to achieve this, our Reading Scheme encompasses a wide range of high-quality publishers including a variety of genres, both fiction and non-fiction. Children are encouraged to select books for themselves based on their own interests.
Though we use several different schemes, our Reading Scheme remains well structured, with all books colour banded to ensure that children are reading books at an appropriate level of challenge for the age and ability.
Middleton Community Primary School Book Band Overview
Key Stage 1 Reading Scheme
Our Key Stage 1 Reading Scheme is split into “Phonics Books” and “Grapple Texts.”
Phonics books are purely decodable texts.
Grapple texts allow more confident readers an opportunity to apply comprehension skills and may contain some words which are not phonetically decodable.
Early Readers
Those children who are beginner readers are given phonics books. These books contain only those letter patterns which they have been introduced to in our Monster Phonics sessions. We use phonics books from the Monster Phonics, Rising Stars Rocket Phonics and Letters and Sounds schemes.
Monster Phonics Books:
Letters and Sounds Phonics Books:
Rising Stars Rocket Phonics Books:
Confident Readers
Once children are more confident with reading and are reading fairly fluently, they are ready to make the transition from learning to decode to developing their comprehension skills. This transition usually occurs during the later stages of Year 1 and the beginning stages of Year 2.
When children are ready, they will be given a grapple text along with their phonics book.
We aim to change children’s books regularly but if your child’s book needs changing, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Miss Madeley sharing a word building activity during the coronavirus lockdown in April 2020
Supporting Reading in Key Stage 2
The Reading Olympics
Reading VIPERS
