Writing
Curriculum Intent
Writing is closely linked with the development of reading skills and is highly valued at CHI. Through our Power of Reading approach and immersion in high quality, diverse text, our children are inspired to write, compose stories and ideas, both orally and in writing. Our staff agree that we are aiming for the same endpoint - children who write clearly, accurately and coherently for a wide range of purposes. We aim for our children to develop good handwriting using accurate spelling and through books and opportunities for first-hand experiences, they write for a purpose and audience.
Curriculum Implementation
All staff have a clear and ambitious vision for providing high quality teaching of writing. Drawing on their growing reading skills we …
- immerse our children in our high quality texts and encourage each child to believe in themselves as authors
- use a rigorous, sequential approach to teaching handwriting
- ensure children use and apply their phonic knowledge in their writing
- ensure there are opportunities for writing in all areas of the curriculum
- ensure that the children write for a real purpose and reason
- teach the children how to proof-read and check their writing makes sense and then, in Year 2, how to make revisions and additions so they can improve their writing
- expect the teacher’s own speaking, listening, writing and reading of English to support the development of children's language and vocabulary
Oracy in all subjects
Our curriculum design allows for as many speaking opportunities as possible as our teachers understand that speaking and listening are at the heart of language. Not only are they the foundations for reading and writing, they are also essential skills for thinking and communication. Our teachers are role models for good spoken English, using ambitious vocabulary and correct grammar. Children are encouraged to read aloud, discuss ideas with their peers and teachers, engage with and learn new vocabulary to extend their spoken and receptive vocabulary.
Our Success
Handwriting
Curriculum Intent:
At Coombe Hill Infants' we recognise the importance of children being able to write legibly, fluently and at reasonable speed. With these skills children have a much greater chance of being able to reach and demonstrate their true potential throughout their school careers and in their lives beyond school. The programme of study at CHI seeks to ensure that by the end of KS1, children have:
- Mastered the use of an effective pencil grip
- Have refined fine motor skills and adequate strength, dexterity and coordination to form legible letters
- The ability to form lower case letters of the correct orientation and size relative to one another, with appropriate ascenders and descenders
- The understanding of when to use capital letters and how to form these correctly
- The understanding of how to form digits 0-9 with correct orientation
- A sense of pride in the presentation of their work, and an understanding of the importance of clear and neat handwriting in order to communicate meaning clearly
Curriculum Implementation:
All staff have a clear and ambitious vision for providing high quality teaching of handwriting. We will:
- Ensure a rigorous, sequential approach to teaching handwriting with coherence and continuity across the school
- Teach regular, discrete handwriting lessons focussing on handwriting 'families' (letters that are formed in a similar way)
- Encourage appropriate sitting posture at a table when practising letter formation
- Use handwriting practice resources closely matched to children's individual needs
- Be multi-sensory (particularly in EYFS) in order to develop necessary fine motor skills needed for correct letter formation
- Expect that the teacher's own handwriting is used as a consistent and high quality model throughout all lessons
- Assess handwriting attainment informally- address gaps quickly and effectively
This is how we form our letters at Coombe Hill.
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