ENGLISH We work to provide children with the language skills they need for life, such as accurate spelling, fluent reading and a love of books. We foster self-motivation, so that they write and read for pleasure and information for the rest of their lives. The Literacy Hour Feltham Hill Junior School has fully implemented the Literacy Hour into our teaching and we recognise its success for our children. The Literacy Hour consists of 15 minutes of a shared text (either shared reading or writing as a whole class); 15 minutes of word/sentence level work (looking at grammar, sentence construction and spelling); 20 minutes' independent activities and a ten minute plenary session. All elements of reading, writing and speaking and listening are integrated into the Literacy Hour. Reading Reading is an essential tool and therefore we put great emphasis on nurturing our children as readers, both for pleasure and for work. As well as during the Literacy Hour, reading is taught in a Guided Reading session at the beginning of each day. Each pupil has a reading record book in which she/he writes a comment about the book that she/he is reading. These reading record books encourage children to develop and extend their understanding of texts. Children take their reading books and reading record book home daily and we encourage our children to read at home and at school every day. Writing Children are encouraged to write for a range of purposes and audiences, from letters to myths to arguments and plays, and many more! Children are encouraged to reflect on their work, and redrafting and editing skills are taught and used throughout the school. We teach the New Nelson script and children develop neat, joined handwriting in both pencil and pen. The skill of writing is progressive and is built upon each year in all areas, from grammatical structures to spelling patterns and creative writing. All children are taught to take pride in their writing and the presentation of their work. Speaking and Listening Speaking and listening are skills which underpin every area of the curriculum. Children's speaking and listening skills are developed through a range of activities. These take the form of informal discussions and question and answer sessions, and listening to taped books, to more formal, prepared debates and readings. Children are encouraged to have confidence in their own speaking skills: their confidence is nurtured through drama activities such as hot-seating and role play. Circle time also plays a vital role in encouraging children to listen to and respond appropriately to others. | 
