English at Ellingham

Phonics Approach and Early Reading- Sounds Write

At Ellingham, we value reading as a key life skill and are dedicated to enabling our pupils to become fluent, lifelong readers. Children are supported to achieve this through our phonics programme, Sounds-Write. Reading for pleasure is also woven into life at Ellingham to promote a love of this vital skill. 

In Reception and KS1, phonics is taught daily, in discrete lessons, following clear progression through the scheme. There are 4 key concepts of Sounds-Write;

1.  Letters are symbols (spellings) that represent sounds

2.  A sound may be spelled by 1, 2, 3, or 4 letters

dog, street, night, dough

3.  The same sound can be spelled in more than one way,

rain, break, gate, stay

4.  Many spellings can represent more than one sound,

head, seat, break

In order to fully understand these concepts, we teach 3 key skills, which are,

1.      Blending – the ability to push sounds together to build words (e.g. /c/ /a/ /t/ - cat)

2.      Segmenting – the ability to pull apart the individual sounds in words (e.g. pig - /p/ /i/ /g/)

3.      Phoneme manipulation – the ability to insert sounds into and delete sounds out of words

In Reception, children begin learning the initial code, single letters representing a sound. They will begin building short words (e.g. pen), and gradually they will be able to spell words with 4 or 5 single sounds (e.g. crisp). In KS1 children learn the extended code, looking at different ways of spelling each sound. Year 3 repeats the extended code, applying these sounds into longer polysyllabic words. Children continue Sounds-Write throughout KS2, using the key concepts and skills in their spelling lessons.

All lessons begin with a review of previously taught sounds. There will then be a new sound taught, and an opportunity to apply this, both in reading and writing. Children will then take home a reading book, closely matched with the sound they have been learning. Separate daily reading sessions also allow teachers to work with small groups of children, to not only consolidate their word reading, but to build their comprehension skills. Once children are decoding with ease, and able to apply their knowledge of the extended code fluently, they will move onto our colour band scheme, used in KS2.

Follow this link to learn more about Sounds Write or to register for a free short course. There are some videos and useful resources for parents/carers.

https://sounds-write.co.uk/support-for-parents-and-carers/ 

Active Reading

Comprehension at Ellingham Primary School is delivered through our Active Reading lessons.  These lessons are built around high quality, language-rich texts that are dissected through questioning and discussion. Each lesson focuses on a specific reading skill and commence with instructional teaching followed by a written comprehension activity. Texts are chosen through links to English or other curriculum areas, and lessons are planned to ensure the majority of children can access the learning. Standard English is modelled by teachers to ensure our children learn the correct forms of spoken English and they are encouraged to use these when speaking in class.

Writing

At Ellingham Primary School, we believe writing is a powerful tool for creativity and communication. We're incredibly proud of our pupils' writing achievements, and to build on this success, we've developed our curriculum around the highly effective principles of The Write Stuff by Jane Considine. This approach is a small-step journey that breaks down the complex process of writing into manageable chunks, using 'lenses' to discreetly teaching writing skills. This approach is a small-step journey that breaks down the complex process of writing into manageable chunks. We use explicit teaching and a key part of this is where teachers actively model the writing process. You'll often see us thinking aloud, or 'chotting' (a portmanteau of "chatting" and "jotting"), to show children how writers make decisions. This process, from gathering ideas to selecting the best words and grammatical techniques, helps pupils understand the why behind our choices, not just the what. By regularly embedding specific writing techniques, grammar rules, and vocabulary, our pupils build a robust toolkit of skills. 

Children don't just write here at Ellingham; they write for a reason, whether it's a persuasive letter or an imaginative story. This focus makes the writing process more meaningful and engaging. We use a robust assessment model to track progress and provide targeted support, ensuring every child is challenged to be the best writer they can be. We really love to celebrate our pupils' hard work! Our classrooms are filled with fantastic writing, which we regularly display and share. This culture of celebration inspires a real love of writing and shows how much we value their creativity. 

Helping your child at home 

Reading

There is an integral link between the ability to read and the ability to write. Research suggests that if a child is read to daily, they will have heard approximately 296,660 words by the time they are 5 years old. This ability to recall and understand language helps a child to use and apply this in their writing. 

To support your child at home:

• Please read daily with your child, allow them to read for pleasure and avoid asking lots of different questions. 

• Allow your child to choose books that they find interesting and they want to read as this will encourage them to read for pleasure. 

• Read to your child, so that they hear a model for reading. 

• Visit your local library so that children are exposed to a range of text types.

• Find a comfortable place to read so that it becomes an exciting and safe space for your child to explore a text. 

• Use the links below for great ebooks to give your child a different way to enjoy reading.

https://www.booktrust.org.uk/ 

https://www.storynory.com/ 

https://clpe.org.uk/ 

https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/ 

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/english-games/5-7-years/letters-and-sounds 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zv48q6f 

https://monkeypen.com/pages/free-childrens-books 

Writing

Within writing, there are also the transcriptional skills of spelling and handwriting. These are equally as important as these tools enable children to become flourishing writers.

To support your child at home:

• Encourage your child to 'have a go' at spelling a new word.

• Make sure your child uses and applies their phonics or a spelling rule as they try to spell a word.

• Ask children to write down the words that they need to remember how to spell.

• Practise your child’s spellings with them regularly. 

• Encourage your child to practise their correct letter formation when writing.

• Try to correct your child’s pencil grip or letter formation if they are incorrect as this will build better habits.

• Play games with your child that encourages them to both spell and correctly form words. 

• Use the links below for some games to give your child a different way to enjoy learning.

https://storylineonline.net/ 

https://www.spellingcity.com/spelling-games-vocabulary-games.html 

https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/supporting-spelling-at-home/