English Writing
At George Tomlinson, English Writing is taught through rich, engaging texts, often incorporating CLPE’s “Power of Reading” units of work (https://www.clpe.org.uk/powerofreading). Children begin a unit of work by becoming immersed in a high-quality text. They grow to love the texts they are engaged in, and develop a deep understanding of the plot structures. Talk for writing (http://www.talk4writing.co.uk/about/) is often used to help children to develop a fluency with certain language features. Their talk then translates into writing, where the children imitate the author’s work; and then innovate. This allows them to first practice key language skills; and then move on to more creative and independent writing.
As a key part of their writing sessions, children also have handwriting and spelling practice, several times weekly. Moreover, GPS (Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling) sessions are embedded into all English lessons, allowing the children to develop an understanding of grammatical features of their writing, and how best to use them
English Reading
At George Tomlinson, once children come off the RWI programme we teach reading using the Destination Reader approach to reading. This is an approach to reading which focuses on seven key skills needed to be a good reader: inferring, evaluating, summarising, asking questions, clarifying, making connections, and predicting. Destination Reader aims to inspire children to become fluent readers who love books, as well as allow them to engage in meaningful discussions about the books they are reading. The approach allows teachers to choose texts that are suitable and ambitious for their students, and embeds key language into the lessons. Destination Reader is often linked with English Writing lessons, meaning that children get a rich and full experience of their English lessons, and gain an understanding of the links between reading and writing.
During these guided sessions, teachers assess the progress each child is making and ensures that children are reading a range of different genres, including poetry, non- fiction and fiction. Children engage in discussions with their teachers about themes and characters in books and are taught to read for meaning and with fluency.
