English
Writing
At Kingstone and Thruxton Primary school, we aim to nurture a sense of enjoyment in our children at expressing their thoughts and feelings through writing. We seek to develop their abilities to write for a wide range of purposes and audiences, using the written word to communicate ideas, views and feelings. Through looking at its patterns, structures and origins, children gain an understanding of how language works.
Writing Sessions
At Kingstone, children learn to write through the Write Stuff approach. This was developed by teacher and leading English consultant, Jane Considine. It is a fun, creative and rigorous approach to developing writers. We start all pieces of writing by enjoying and sharing books and stories, placing a strong emphasis on a love of reading and books. Through regular reading, we aim for children to build up an extensive and rich vocabulary for use in their own writing and this word collecting is an integral part of the write stuff approach. Children “chot” (chat and jot) down their ideas in the initiate phase from stimulating resources, such as pictures, videos, music and drama. The teacher then models sentence scaffolds taken from the writing rainbow and pupils have a go at their own sentences, following a similar structure, taking the opportunity to deepen the moment which requires them to independently draw upon previously learnt skills and apply them to their writing during that particular chunk.
"The Write Stuff" uses three essential components to support children in becoming great writers
The three zones of writing :
- IDEAS - The FANTASTICs uses a child friendly acronym to represent the nine idea lenses through which children can craft their ideas.
- TOOLS - The GRAMMARISTICS. The grammar rules of our language system and an accessible way to target weaknesses in pupils grammatical and linguistic structures.
- TECHNIQUES - The BOOMTASTICs which helps children capture 10 ways of adding drama and poetic devices to their writing.
Regular opportunities are taken for children to practise their writing skills independently both in English and across the curriculum. At the end of each writing unit, children complete an independent write which is an opportunity for them to apply the new skills that they have learnt. Children produce final pieces to be proud of - often making these special by adding their own illustrations or art work. We aim to provide a balance of narrative, non-fiction and poetry throughout each term.
Communication
Communication is a two-way process. We communicate ‘outwards’ by speaking and writing, and we receive communication by listening and reading. In all our teaching and learning, we aim for our pupils to communicate orally to a high level, and so we place a lot of emphasis on all forms of speaking and listening, as well as reading and writing. In this increasingly information-based world, we also want our learners to evaluate information critically rather than believe everything they come across without questioning.
The document below outlines the writing genres that will be covered in each year group, each half term:
| Name | |
|---|---|
| Writing Planning Overview.docx | Download |
Reading
Reading is at the heart of all we do at Kingstone. We believe that reading is one of the best tools we can give our children, in order to shape them into independent, creative, imaginative and life-long learners. We teach reading, both explicitly, and through our wider curriculum.
We ask our parents/carers to support us through hearing their child read regularly at home. Each child has a reading record which goes between home and school each day. These are checked daily by school staff and allows engagement with home reading to be celebrated. In the 'Parent Zone' section of this website you will find guidance and ideas on how to support your child with reading at home.
At Kingstone, our whole class reading sessions take the form of 'Book Talk.' In whole class reading sessions, there is a high level of interaction between teachers and pupils. Children are exposed to high-quality texts and discussion in an immersive environment. Texts are carefully chosen by teachers to provide appropriate challenge that builds on pupils’ existing knowledge and understanding.
Opportunities for reading
Pupils also read regularly in other areas of the curriculum and in other parts of the school day through:
- Whole Class Reading - Teachers set aside specific time for children to read their own books quietly. They also teach one specific Whole Class Reading lesson every week.
- Reading Across the Curriculum - Pupils read a range of books linked to other areas of their learning.
- Class Story - We believe that high quality, engaging texts are really important in schools. Each class has a daily story session where some of the teacher's favorite authors are shared with the children.
- Library Visits - Classes are able to take children into the library area for reading sessions.
Boom Reader (formerly known as GoRead)
We have recently made the move to virtual reading records, via a platform called Boom Reader. This is an online way of parents and teachers logging each child's learning journey throughout their time at Kingstone. Children each and have an avatar and are awarded gems each time they show fantastic reading engagement.
Below are documents to support you with using Boom Reader at home: