At Trinity Church school, we believe that pupils should develop skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing. It enables them to express themselves creatively and imaginatively and to communicate with others effectively. During your child's time at Trinity Church School, they will be taught to read, write and spell using our 'Letters and Sounds' scheme. 

How we teach our children to read

The DFE have set up a new 'Letters and Sounds' YouTube channel.

A new lesson will be uploaded each weekday beginning on Monday 27th April at 11am. *After upload, each lesson will then be available to watch throughout the summer term.

• 'Letters and Sounds' Daily lesson schedule
  
  
• DFE Letter to parents and carers about online phonics lessons April 2020

During both key stages pupils’ interest and pleasure in reading is developed as they learn to read confidently and independently. This involves two dimensions:

• Word reading
• Comprehension

At Key Stage One children take part in a daily dedicated phonics session as set out in the Letters and Sounds document. The teaching of phonics is emphasised in the early teaching of reading to beginners. This involves the speedy working out of unfamiliar words and the speedy recognition of familiar printed words.

Skills continue to be developed in the following ways:

• Sharing books together as a whole class, group or in pairs
• Individual reading for Reception, Year One and Year Two with the class teacher or TA once a week
• Reading books are sent home and changed once a week
• Guided reading is introduced during Year One and continues in Year Two. From Year Two the children begin reading comprehension. At Key Stage Two there is a greater focus on guided reading and comprehension activities as opposed to hearing children individually read.

Other strategies include:

• Whole class reading
• Guided reading
• Group reading
• One to one
• Paired reading

Each child will have a Reading Record where appropriate; the purpose of which is to record the reading experiences both at home and school. This will be an exercise book and teachers will provide an information sheet for parents on how best to hear their child read as is appropriate to their age or key stage. Writing during both key stages is linked to pupils’ interests and pleasure in writing is developed as they learn to write confidently and independently.

This involves two dimensions:

• Transcription (spelling and handwriting)
• Composition - A cursive script will be used throughout school and taught at Key Stage One in a dedicated weekly lesson and, as appropriate at Key Stage Two.
• In the Foundation Stage children will begin by using a multi-sensory approach e.g. water painting, drawing letters/shapes in sand/salt, paint, felt pens, large sheets of paper, chalks on the playground etc.
• During the year they will progress to using whiteboards and pens to practice individual letter formation.
• In the summer term Reception children will transfer handwriting to their writing books and practise sitting letters correctly on lines.
• In Year One children will practise the joined script for vowel digraphs.
• From Year Two onwards children will be taught to use a joined script.

Current teaching practice and resources are to be in line with the new 2014 English curriculum. Children will be taught spelling strategies using a variety of approaches as set out in English Appendix 1 of the new curriculum (statutory requirements) and from the National Letters and Sounds document. Spelling Journal will be used from Y3 – Y6.

• In Reception children will complete phases 1 – 4 of Letters and Sounds and will be taught at least 4 sounds per week using the Jolly Phonics approach during a daily dedicated phonics lesson (20 minutes)
• In Year One and Year Two children will complete phases 4 – 7 of Letters and Sounds during dedicated phonics lessons (20 minutes, 4 times a week) and receive weekly spellings
• In Year Three (Class 3) children will revise Letters and Sounds and practise spellings (20 minutes, 4 times a week) using Spelling Journal, and receive weekly spellings
• In Key Stage 2 children will receive a dedicated weekly spelling lesson. Spelling Journal will be used and weekly spellings will be sent home. Some children will receive an additional piece of homework related to their spellings which will be taken from Spelling Journal. All children from Year 1 onwards will be given a list of weekly spellings to practice at home.

A variety of models for teaching writing are used; teacher modelling, shared writing, supported composition, guided and independent writing. Targets for writing are placed in either Literacy or Big Write books.

• From Year One onwards there is a weekly, dedicated Big Write morning.
• The teaching of writing/literacy is primarily approached creatively through topic at both Key Stage One and Two.
• The majority of sentence level work is taught through writing. At Key Stage Two, children are taught these skills through discreet English lessons which, when appropriate, are practised in Big Write mornings. Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation (SPAG)

The school follows the statutory guidance which gives an overview of the specific features that will be included in the teaching of SPAG. Children are taught to use Standard English and the vocabulary necessary to discuss their reading, writing and spoken language.