Literacy

At St Alfege’s we aim to nurture an appreciation of spoken and written language through developing children’s skills and understanding the five different areas.

Speaking and listening: Pupils are encouraged to recognise the difference between formal and informal speech and they are given opportunities to use both. Speaking to “talk partners” is an integral teaching style practised throughout the school, in which pupils share there learning, through explanation and description, with others sitting close by. Pupils are also encouraged to listen to adults and to fellow pupils, and they are encouraged to show that they are listening by displaying appropriate body language.

Reading: Children of all ages are encouraged to explore and enjoy books. There is a structured programme to help children develop the necessary skills and strategies for independent reading. Guided reading sessions in groups take place and, in addition, children are given individual support with their reading. Teachers model fluency and expression in reading in the whole-class story sessions, where the emphasis is on an appreciation and enjoyment of literature.

Writing: Children learn to write in many different styles and forms, across all areas of the curriculum. Time is spent learning the “tools” of writing, which we call VCOP (Vocabulary, Connectives, Openings, Punctuation). “Big Writing,” a concept devised by Ros Wilson, takes place once a week, and is an opportunity for children to put into practice the concepts that they have learned as they write independently. ”Big Writing” is regarded as a special time and the atmosphere in the classroom is enhanced by classical music and candles.

The eagle soaring high. The blazing sun rising into the lovely blue sky. The fluffy clouds floating in the air. The jagged mountain pointing high towards the sky.

The howling wind blowing across the rushing water. The beautiful free eagle screeching as it soared towards the sun. The rushing water crashing against the rocks.

The soft wind stroking against your skin cooling you down. Life giving sun pressing heat against your body. Rough, jagged rocks digging into the soles of your feet. The soft cool sparkling water splashing against your sweaty skin.

Year 4 wrote a description of the setting of the final chapter from "Fly Eagle Fly," a traditional African tale.  We are very proud of our work and would like to share it with you.

Spelling: Children are taught to spell by using the system of phonic awareness devised by Ruth Miskin. Words are broken up into “phonemes” and the pupils are taught how to recognise each unit of sound and the corresponding way of writing it down. Phonic games are used and learning becomes good fun!