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Reading
At Chandlers Field Primary Academy, reading is a golden thread that weaves through our curriculum. This puts reading at the heart of our curriculum and shows the importance and value of learning to read through stimulating texts that are related to our Wider Curriculum. We are committed to providing opportunities for all pupils to gain an enjoyment of reading and achieve the key early reading and comprehension skills needed to become a proficient reader. We endeavour to ensure that our children develop a positive and enthusiastic attitude towards reading that will stay with them forever through high quality texts from different genres.
Children have frequent, regular and sustained opportunities to read and to talk together about the books that they are reading individually, in small groups and as a whole class. This helps the children to reach a shared understanding and build on their cultural literacy. We plan opportunities for all children to extend their vocabulary through a range of genres and subject related texts to consolidate their understanding.
Children at Chandlers Field learn to read using Little Wandle Letters and Sounds, which teaches children the essential phonics skills needed to decode and develop reading fluency. Through reading books that closely match their phonic ability, children consolidate and apply their phonic knowledge. Children are encouraged to read and reread a text to revisit, revise and apply new and known sounds and to develop their reading fluency.
During whole class discrete Reading lessons in KS2, children explore a range of texts in more detail to develop their comprehension. They are taught a range of different reading skills in order to become strategic readers such as predicting, summarising and questioning. Children practise applying those skills to a range of texts throughout the year. Children in KS2 learn how to provide evidence to justify their answers as well as analyse the language choices that an author has used.
We believe that children should develop a love for reading which will inspire them to read for purpose and pleasure. This is supported by our range of high quality, diverse text, whole school library, reading school environments and literary events throughout the year.
For more information about Little Wandle Letters and Sounds and resources to support your child with learning to read, visit their website: https://www.littlewandle.org.uk/resources/for-parents/
Writing
At Chandlers Field Primary Academy, we believe that learning to write is a vital part of every child’s education. Our approach to writing is through immersion into high quality texts. These texts stimulate writing, motivate learners and provide challenge. They are often linked to the wider curriculum, giving greater depth and breadth to writing. In EYFS children develop their pre-writing skills and explore mark making as a form of communication, alongside developing fine motor control. As their skills progress, children develop their letter formation and early sentence construction. From Year 1 onwards, children begin to write at greater length , building from simple sentences into longer pieces of writing.
At Chandlers Field children learn to write for a range of writing purposes including to entertain, inform, persuade and discuss. Through these purposes, children will explore a range of texts such as narratives, setting description, diary entries, recounts and instructions. Children explore the features of high quality models and immerse themselves in the purpose and text type. They are then guided through the writing process of planning, drafting, editing and publishing. This enables children to understand and apply the craft of writing with increasing conscience and skill.
Grammar, Spelling & Punctuation (GPS)
At Chandlers Field Primary Academy, Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (GPS) are embedded within our writing curriculum to ensure that children learn and apply these skills in meaningful contexts. Grammar objectives are taught through writing lessons, allowing pupils to understand how language works and use it purposefully in their writing.
Alongside this, children take part in regular discrete spelling lessons. Our spelling curriculum builds upon the phonics developed in EYFS and Key Stage 1, providing a structured progression through spelling patterns and rules. Each week, children are introduced it a new rule, with opportunities to practise, apply and revisit previous learning.
Handwriting
At Chandlers Field Primary Academy, our handwriting journey starts in EYFS with the first steps into mark making. As children progress through EYFS and KS1, they will use the Nelson Handwriting approach to handwriting to develop accurate letter formation and consistent letter sizing, building the foundations of fluent handwriting. As children move into Year 2 and further into KS2, they begin to join their letters focusing on developing fluent, legible and consistent handwriting that supports their written communication across the curriculum.
