At Norwood Green Infants we aim to develop children’s ability to listen, speak, read and write for a wide range of purposes, using language to learn and communicate ideas, views and feelings. It enables children to express themselves creatively and imaginatively, as they become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama, as well as non-fiction and media texts. Children gain an understanding of how language works by looking at its patterns, structures and origins. Children use their knowledge, skills and understanding in speaking, listening, reading and writing across a range of different situations. We fully incorporate a wide range of ICT skills into the literacy curriculum.
Speaking and Listening
Speaking and listening are necessary basic skills in everyday communication. We plan activities using strategies that encourage children’s effective communication in a wide range of situations, these include the use of games, ICT equipment and class discussion and circle times activities. Staff build on the language that children bring to school and show respect for their means of communication. The children take part in regular class and school assemblies and concerts to increase their confidence and ability to speak with others.
Reading
The ability to read is fundamental to pupils’ development as independent learners. In order to read across the curriculum with fluency, accuracy, understanding and enjoyment pupils need to draw on a range of strategies. By reflecting and talking about texts, children begin to understand how a writer writes. It is through their engagement with texts that pupils reading of fiction, poetry and non-fiction texts enable them to make sense of the world and their place in it.
At Norwood Green Infant and Nursery school we actively promote the enjoyment of reading through a range of activities and many opportunities are provided for pupils to practice and extend their reading in other curriculum areas and subjects. Reading for pleasure and enjoyment is given a high priority and time is set-aside for this according to year groups and the individual needs of the children. At this age the emphasis for reading should be based on developing pupil’s interest and pleasure as they learn to read independently and with confidence. Pupils should have the opportunity to read and select books independently. In daily literacy lessons shared, guided and independent reading activities take place. All classes have a quiet or ‘Eric’ reading time, where everybody is reading in class at the same time and staff actively read class stories throughout the week. Buddy reading also takes place, where classes split and mix with each other bringing varying levels of reading ability into contact to share experiences and the enjoyment of reading. The children in Key stage 1 make regular visits to the local library and staff run extra curricular clubs for those that enjoy reading. Throughout the year the children and staff take part in sponsored reading events and world book day celebrations and assemblies, where the children get to dress up as their favourite book characters and share favourite stories. At present Norwood green is planning to build their own library and extend the wide variety of literature resources in the school.
Writing
Norwood Green Infant and Nursery school aims to develop literate pupils who write with confidence and fluency, organising the content and style of what is written to suit the purpose. Children are encouraged to develop confidence in writing an interest in words and their meaning. Staff do this through whole class shared writing, guided writing, supported writing, working with response partners and independent sessions both at home and school.
The school uses the Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage and the Revised Literacy framework for termly objectives.
Drama and Role Play
At Norwood Green our aim is to incorporate drama into all areas of the curriculum, using the literacy lesson to teach key skills and attributes specific to role-play and drama. We encourage role-play and make believe, by providing a selection of materials to stimulate the children’s imaginations and provide a large variety of resources including puppets and theatres, dress up clothes and materials to make their own masks/puppets. All classes take part in their own and school assemblies, which involve aspects of drama and role-play as well as the end of year school productions and concerts, which are hugely successful events. We value these activities and the opportunities they provide for the children to learn and discover themselves.
Phonics
As a school, we follow ‘Letters and Sounds’ which supports systematic and efficient phonics teaching. It provides ideas, games and approaches for all teachers to use during their 10 minute daily phonics session as well as resources to help teach all elements such as bingo games and letter fans. Phonics is important in supporting all aspects of literacy particularly reading and writing development. Children require encouragement in order to develop as confident, competent spellers and readers. The school provides varied resources to aid correct spelling which include, dictionaries (also available on CD roms), thesaurus, word books and computer spell check systems.
Handwriting
At Norwood Green Infant and Nursery school we have regular handwriting practice in key stage 1. We follow a cursive script from the Nelson scheme. This provides a common model and aids communication. At the earliest stages there are plenty of activities to develop pencil control and letter formation. Once letters are correctly formed and orientated, joining is taught in formal and structured handwriting lessons.
