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successful learners confident individuals responsible citizens effective contributors |
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An Overview Of the Language Curriculum And Methodology
LANGUAGE Language is at the heart of children’s learning. It permeates every curricular area and is the key to unlocking children’s potential.
Through language children receive much of their knowledge and acquire many skills, enabling communication with others effectively for a variety of purpose, and examination of their own and others’ experiences feelings and ideas. Intellectual, emotional and social development is enhanced, which leads to coherent and progressive learning across the curricular areas.
A curriculum for excellence At Bridge of Allan primary school we are striving to ensure that every child in our care has the opportunity to become:
· Confident Individuals · Successful learners · Effective Contributors · Responsible Citizens
We aim to provide a variety of experiences and interactive learning styles to ensure that the pace of learning is challenging and appropriate to pupils’ needs.
Reading An interest in reading is central to becoming successful learners and effective contributors
Children read for a variety of purposes, e.g.:
· To obtain information and respond appropriately
· To reflect upon ideas, experiences and opinions
· To gain imaginative and aesthetic pleasure
· To connect with character, setting and feelings
Pupils will read to find information for a variety of purposes and will read on occasion aloud ,to enjoy and respond to texts, developing comprehension and inferential skills; in this way they will develop an understanding of a variety of genre and greater knowledge of language.
Early stages: pre-reading to develop skills in matching, sequencing, listening to and talking about stories, learning basic reading skills through a systematic and progressive programme. The main resources used to teach these skills are Oxford Reading Tree, Jolly Phonics and Jolly Grammar.
Later stages: development of a wide range of techniques such as sequencing, prediction, cloze procedure, evaluating texts, making deductions, comparing and contrasting texts. Pupils will gain an overall knowledge about language, an understanding of specific details and how they contribute to the whole, make inferences, identify appropriate supporting evidence and participate in discussion of all aspects of a variety of texts. The main resources used to teach these skills will be Literacy World, Scholastic, Nelson Skills and Development and Ginn Spelling
Formal Assessment: Pupils will sit National Assessments at appropriate times throughout their school life and the Standardised Edinburgh Reading Tests will be used P3, P5 and P7. The standardised Quest Test is undertaken at P3. Informal Assessment will be used to ensure pupils are being appropriately challenged and the pace of learning is meeting pupils’ needs. More derailed information onm the differing levels from A to F is available from the school upon request
Writing An interest in writing ensures pupils become effective contributors to their own and others’ learning.
Children write for a variety of purposes, e.g.:
· Pupils will write functionally, imaginatively and personally, to convey meaning of language appropriate to audience and purpose · Pupils will pay attention to punctuation and structure, spelling, handwriting and presentation and acquire knowledge about language.
At all stages there will be direct teaching of writing skills which involve the teacher listening, discussing and helping with the selection of ideas, overseeing content, organisation and demonstrating a variety of writing strategies encouraging the development of character, setting, plot, dialogue, etc. Pupils will be involved in interactive learning, collaborating in pairs or groups and sharing with class. Formative assessment techniques play a major role in the development of writing skills. The main methodology used to develop skill in writing is the North Lanarkshire Writing Programme.
Early stages: begin to compose ideas and communicate these by talking and drawing, with the additional support of a scribe on occasion. The pupils will move on to draft their own pieces of writing.
Later stages: pupils will work on extended pieces of writing with the focus on specific skills for different types of writing; planning, developing and completing the task, developing ideas, discussing with peers/teacher, selecting what is appropriate, developing extended texts and producing a final copy, either handwritten or word-processed.
Gathering of evidence to support the National Assessment Levels A-F will be done at appropriate times, used to address any development needs and studied to ensure that the pace of learning meets the needs of the pupils.
Listening And Talking Pupils are involved in listening and talking activities for a variety of purposes, e.g.:
· Listening for and talking to convey information, instruction and direction
· Listening and talking in groups
· Listening and talking to respond to text
· Listening and discussing to show recognition of awareness of style
· Listening and talking to investigate and question
Activities involving listening and talking permeate the Language curriculum. They are central to pupils becoming confident individuals and responsible citizens. Every opportunity is given for pupils to contribute effectively to discussions, ask questions and give opinions on a variety of subject areas. Pupils are given many opportunities to speak out and take on responsible roles, both individually and collaboratively, which involve listening to and talking with pupils and adults, e.g.: enterprising activity, critical challenge, PSD activities, circle time, news time, philosophy, meetings, debates and many more.
Pupils are constantly involved in collaborative learning and interactive activity to promote an ethos in which they have the opportunity to grow into confident individuals and responsible citizens. They are given the opportunity to develop greater skills in: thinking, questioning, decision making, teamwork and leadership.
Informal Assessment: Pupils will be constantly observed in listening and talking activity by their peers and the class teacher to ensure that the pace of learning is meeting their needs.
Teachers will regularly assess pupils according to 5-14 guidelines for Levels A-F.
More detailed information on the differing levels from A to F is available from the school upon request.
What the Children Have to Say
· I really like reading with Literacy World because we get to organise our own group discussions and assign roles like chairperson, drama director and action re-teller.
· I love Floppy and my Kipper book.
· It’s great to be involved in the challenge group because you feel you get a chance to make a difference.
· I like it when you have to do a talk in front of the class and they ask you questions.
· I am learning how to spell and I like it.
· I didn’t use to like reading but now it’s good.
· It’s great when we get to make a book of our writing and put it in the hall for everyone to see, it made me feel very proud.
· I like it when my friend tells me that I have a good idea for a story.
· I love our new library and all the new books that you get to take out.
· It’s good fun when you get to put two stars and a wish on someone else’s writing.
· I think it’s fun how all the questions are right in philosophy, it makes you think more. |