English
Intent
At Hampton Infant School we believe that a quality English curriculum should instil children with a love of reading, writing and discussion. A high-quality education in English will equip children with the skills to speak, read and write fluently so that they can communicate their ideas and emotions to others, and through their reading and listening, others can communicate with them. One of our priorities is ensuring children have the skills to decode and develop fluency in reading and develop their comprehension skills. We teach children to make the link between decoding and encoding and recognise the importance of nurturing a culture where children take pride in their writing, can write clearly and accurately and adapt their language and style for a range of contexts. We also intend to create writers who can re-read, edit and improve their own writing, and enable pupils to be able to confidently use the essential skills of grammar, punctuation and spelling.
We believe that children need to develop a secure knowledge-base in English to support them in all areas of learning. We know that a secure basis in literacy skills is vital to a high-quality education.
READING
We recognise that reading is of central importance in allowing children to access learning, broaden their educational experiences and deepen their knowledge of the world. We plan to nurture in each child a love of books and reading and develop a growing ability to read fluently, confidently and with understanding, not only to improve and extend each child’s skills but also for pleasure.
We have created a recommended reading list for each year group. These are books to share with your child and for them to read as they become able.
Reading at Hampton Infant School - March 2022
HISN Reading Lists
Reading at Hampton Infant School
Reading Progression of Skills
PHONICS
Phonics consists of the skills of segmentation and blending, knowledge of the alphabetic code and understanding of the principles which underpin how children learn to read and spell. The children in EYFS and Year 1 receive daily phonics sessions through supportive, differentiated group work.
In Nursery the children are developing their communication, language and literacy skills over the course of the year in preparation for learning letter sounds. We play a variety of games and activities with the children and music has a key part in developing children’s language. Most are adult led activities and the way we model speaking and listening, interact and talk with the children is critical to the success of our early phonics activities . We also provide opportunities on a daily basis for child initiated learning where the children can play and explore their new found skills. This plays a very important part in their development. The emphasis is to get children attuned to the sounds around them and ready to begin developing oral blending and segmenting skills.
Reception and Year 1, teachers use progressive planning including principles laid out in the Sounds Write scheme. Focused activities allow children to revisit, learn, practise and apply their knowledge and understanding through fun and engaging games and activities. Pupils are systematically taught the phonemes (sounds), how to blend the sounds through words for reading, and how to segment the sounds for spelling.
When children reach the summer term of Year 1, their phonic knowledge is assessed through the statutory phonics screening check. It can also be repeated during Year 2 to monitor progress and identify those children in need of intervention.
When children reach Year 2 they will still receive regular phonics sessions however these are taught as a whole class. Any children who require additional support will be given precision teaching sessions with an adult in a small group or one to one. This is to ensure these valuable reading and spelling skills are embedded and children are confident moving forward after they finish KS1.
Phonics skills progression-Autumn
Phonic skills progression-Spring
Phonics skills progression-Summer
Phonics Workshop for Parents
WRITING
Our children need to develop a passion and skill for writing in which they feel comfortable in experimenting with different styles and formats. Our aim is to provide children with opportunities to enjoy writing and to understand the purpose of writing. Children need to want to write to be a successful writer. In Early Years, all children’s attempts at writing, including emergent writing, are valued and built upon, so that children appreciate the importance of their writing in conveying meaning to the reader. In KS1, the emphasis will be on verbally rehearsing writing and this will lead to regular writing sessions. In Year 2, with support and guidance children are encouraged to edit their work and identify areas of development in their own writing. This enables them to be more reflective learners and develops lifelong skills in writing.
Developing Writing in EYFS - Workshop for Parents
Writing Progression of Skills
Writing End of year expectations.
SPELLING
Spelling is an integral part of the writing process. Children who spell with ease are able to concentrate on the content of their writing and the making of meaning. The learning of spelling is encouraged as part of the home-school partnership and weekly spellings will be sent home to practise in Year 1 and Year 2, in readiness for a test in school. Children will be given words according to their developmental needs, so the amount and level of difficulty will vary.