Literacy

Vision Statement:

At Washingwell we aim to encourage a lifelong love of literacy which will provide all children with the best opportunities for the future.   We believe that by engaging children in exciting, stimulating lessons with a variety of teaching styles to match the needs of all learners, it develops children’s abilities to listen, speak 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 using non-fiction and multi-media to find out facts and answers to questions they have posed. In turn this will build up their confidence and self-esteem as readers, writers and speakers. 

All the skills of language are essential to participating fully as a member of society therefore

our overarching aim in teaching of literacy is to promote high standards of language and literacy by equipping pupils with a strong command of the spoken and written word, and to develop a love of literature through widespread reading for enjoyment.

Our school bases the core work in literacy around the National Curriculum which aims to ensure that all pupils:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
• use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
• are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate.

What does literacy offer children? How does it enhance the curriculum?

• Encourages children to listen carefully with concentration in order to be able to identify the main points of what they have heard.
• Enables children to adapt their speech to a wide range of circumstances.
• Enables children to think creatively in response to a variety of stimuli.
• Develops children’s interest in books so they can read for pleasure with enjoyment and talk about why they have enjoyed a particular book.
• Develops independent readers who can decode and use their comprehension skills to engage with a broad variety of text.
• Encourages children to become enthusiastic and reflective readers through contact with high quality texts.
• Enables children to use a range of reading cues (phonic, graphic, syntactic, contextual) and correct their mistakes.
• Enables children to understand the sound and spelling system and use this to read and spell accurately.
• Encourages children to have an interest in words and their meaning and a growing vocabulary.
• Helps children to enjoy writing and to understand the purpose of writing.
• Supports the development of a cursive, fluent and legible handwriting style.
• Enables children to read, write and use a range of texts, understanding the main features.
• Helps children to plan writing by use of talk, drama, drawings or notes, and suggest ways to improve it.
• Develops children’s technical vocabulary so they can understand and discuss reading and writing.
• Develops children’s keyboard skills and computing skills confidently to compose and present work.
• Develops children’s English skills across other areas of the curriculum.

What use is it to children in later life?

• Basic literacy skills form the foundations for all aspects of future life – it is embedded in all aspects of everyday living.
• Effective literacy skills provide lifelong learning for individual growth, meaningful employment, economic independence, civic participation and social justice.