Writing, reading and phonics
No items found.
At Lift Hamford, we want children to become confident writers by making rich connections across the English curriculum. We aim to ensure all of our children develop a genuine love of language and the written word, through a high quality text-based approach, with reading and oracy acting as the stimulus for writing.
At Lift Hamford, we want children to:
Through a literacy-rich environment, using high quality texts we are committed to inspire our children to become resilient, ambitious readers and writers through developing their knowledge, skills and passion for language. Enabling them to gain a life-long enjoyment of reading and books, reading accurately, fluently and with understanding.
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”
Frederick Douglass
Our Curriculum
At Lift Hamford, we use a wide range of stories, poems, rhymes, and non-fiction texts that develop pupils’ vocabulary, language comprehension and love of reading.
To promote a love of reading at Lift Hamford, we:
‘Accelerated Reader’ (AR) is an online programme successfully used across years 2-6. AR is an online programme that aims to foster the habit of independent reading. With a vast collection of books available in our library, the children have ample opportunity to select books that are of interest to them and within their reading ability. AR initially screens pupils according to their reading level, and suggests books that match their reading age and reading interest. Pupils take computerised quizzes on the books they have read which contribute to both their reading level and age.
All children are expected to bring their reading diaries into school daily. Children take home two books: one matched to their reading level and another for pleasure.
Our teachers read to children and model reading aloud during shared reading, changing the tone and intonation in their voice and pausing for punctuation. Our teachers are enthusiastic and engaging readers who encourage a love of reading for pleasure. Through focussed book talk, the skills taught in English lessons are applied to all reading across the curriculum.
At Lift Hamford, we support children in developing and applying phonetic knowledge through decoding, segmenting and blending. Through consistent teaching and regular assessment, we support children to be challenged appropriately and become resilient individuals who are able to think positively about their developing abilities and feel confident to use their phonics skills across the curriculum.
Our Curriculum
We place significant emphasis on the importance of children acquiring the skills to develop a love of reading from an early age.
At Hamford, we follow the Read, Write Inc. (RWI) phonics programme. The below handbook aims to provide all the necessary information about RWI phonics to parents and carers, including how we teach your children phonics at school and how you are able to support your child at home.
We also run various Parent Workshops to help you to better understand the RWI programme and the books, videos and resources that will be shared with you at home. A copy of the slides from the 'Introduction to RWI' workshop and this year's 'RWI workshop for parents/carers in Early Years' are below. If you have any questions at all, please speak to your child's class teacher.
Phonics Sessions
In Early Years and Key Stage One, pupils have phonics sessions every day. The session takes place at the beginning of the day to allow children to apply their new knowldege and skills whilst reading and writing during the day. As well as these daily sessions, 1:1 tutoring will be given to children identified as needing more support to keep up with the teaching and make the best possible progress.
Fresh Start
Identified children in KS2 will receive RWI 'Fresh Start' sessions. This is a learn to read programme that will teach the children to read quickly. It is a fast-paced, systematic programme.
Ongoing assessment
All children in the school who are being taught phonics are assessed every half term. As a result of these assessments, phonics groups / 1:1 tutoring sessions are adapted accordingly and extra support or challenge is given to individuals. Because of these half termly assessments, and the ongoing informal assessments by teachers every day, pupils who are not making the expected progress are identified early and given the extra support needed to help them to keep up with their peers.
Supporting children's phonics development at home
Lift Hamford,
Elm Tree Avenue,
Walton on the Naze, Essex
CO14 8TE
