Speaking & listening

English

Primary

A festive approach to cross curriculum ICT and literacy

Discover how a small primary school with just 22 children has developed pupils' ICT and literacy skills across the curriculum by creating a Christmas community newspaper. When Teacher Debra Gill, came up with the idea to celebrate Christmas, she wanted to involve the community to aid the Chapel Haddlesey pupils' learning. She found that by allowing pupils to engage with local people in the village, it expanded their knowledge of the workplace and developed their critical thinking skills. Returning to the classroom, the pupils turned their notes into articles and wrote catchy headlines. They also put their ICT skills into practice by creating a layout for their community newspaper The Chilly Times. Staff believe it has taught pupils about cooperation and helped them to grow more confident. Moreover, it is a fun way to prepare the children for more festivities that lie ahead.

Creating a Festive Newspaper

Three primary literay resources are reviewed by teachers

In this edition of Resource Review we look in detail at three resources to help with teaching primary literacy. Teacher Danielle Dennis recommends a book to aid story writing; Year 5 co-ordinator Sarah Pearce advocates a moving short animation via the National Strategies website; and literacy subject co-ordinator Alison Johnson suggests an online strategy that aids children?s creative and thinking processes for storytelling. Teachers from schools around the country comment on these resources plus quickly give us their ideas on some of their favourite resources and ones you can create yourself. Resource Review gives you valuable information about branded teaching resources, as well as ideas and thoughts about resources from other sources.

Creative writing book, teaching narrative animation, talk-for-writing resource

A primary school creates good models for speaking and listening

This video shows that creating good models for speaking, listening and thinking can dramatically improve achievement at primary level, particularly when pupils may not have such models at home. AST Sally Betteridge takes a weekly session called Thinking Through Philosophy where Year 6 pupils are taught how to articulate their thinking and discursive skills. Year 3 teacher Josie Hodges successfully uses Edward de Bono's Thinking Hats approach to organise speaking, listening and group work. These frameworks are particularly important for schools such as Huntingdon Primary School in Nottingham where there are many EAL pupils with limited language skills.

Extending Speaking and Listening

Using karate-style moves to help pupils remember maths terms

Hand gestures are used to emphasise maths symbols and aid pupil learning during a KS2 maths lesson. The teacher leads a numeracy lesson using karate-style moves, such as chops and punches, to emphasis the symbols for addition, subtraction, division and multiplication. Pupils then use the moves when working on written maths problems. Philippa Cordingley, director of the Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education, observes the lesson and explains that the technique makes learning more visible and physical which aids learning, especially when dealing with abstract problems. The technique, shown at Heather Primary School, can also be adapted to support literacy, with different gestures for punctuation marks.

Hand Gestures

Sessions help primary pupils keep up with literacy and numeracy

Discover how one primary school use three short focused key skills sessions in literacy and numeracy to ensure that all pupils keep up with their class. Hannah Darley, deputy headteacher at Hunslet Moor Primary School developed the key skills intervention strategy to ensure that all her pupils mastered the basic skills of literacy and numeracy, so that they move forward with their learning. Here, Hannah works with a small breakout group, focusing on understanding mathematical language. Sessions can also be delivered to a whole class, Year 4 teacher Rachel Kinrade does this with a literacy key skills session on punctuation.

Key Skills Intervention

  A teacher reflects on the use of phonics in Year 1  

This programme looks at how Blue Gate Fields Infants School approaches teaching phonics in nursery, reception and Year 1, as part of their strategy for literacy. The teachers reflect on the development of listening skills and use of phonological knowledge, and assess the place of phonics work within the context of their overall approach to literacy. Dr Rhona Stainthorp, of the Institute of Education, reviews recent academic research on decoding and reading.

KS1 English - Cracking the Code

An observation of literacy teaching at Malorees Infants School

An observation of literacy teaching at Malorees Infants School, where 61 per cent of the children learn English as an additional language. This programme examines how strategic decisions about downsizing, managing interventions, and the training of staff and parents contribute to the effective teaching and learning of literacy. The size of the school and financial constraints play a major part in these strategic decisions alongside effective tracking and monitoring, and assessment. The programme may be useful for leaders and managers involved in delivering literacy at KS1.

KS1 Leaders

A school demonstrates their broad approach to literacy

Here we follow Broadmead Infants School's approach to literacy over a week long period, and gain an insight into the strategies they use to encourage enthusiasm about the subject in their pupils. The school based in Croydon has a very mixed intake of pupils, many of the whom have little experience of books. Teachers emphasise the importance of guided speaking and listening from Reception onwards, in an effort to get children organising and vocalising their thoughts. Role play, freeze-framing and the dramatising of stories and characters from books all help prepare children for ambitious writing. Later, Headteacher Alex Lundie reflects on the pupils' achievements. She believes that children with lower levels of experience deserve to have high expectations made of them, so long as the right support is in place.

KS1 Literacy - Reading, Writing and Role-Play

Short videos to inspire storytelling ideas in KS1 literacy

Stimulate the imaginations of Key Stage 1 pupils in literacy lessons, encouraging creative writing skills with five short videos. Each story start is performed with puppets, using a variety of different techniques. And each one stops at a point where teachers can get pupils to tell their own stories, whatever their ability level. KS1 children can develop their own ideas for characterisation, plot and setting. The five traditional stories featured are Red Riding Hood, The Miserly Farmer, The Key in the Sea, The Raja's Secret and Aladdin.

KS1 Story Starts

Teaching assistants use intervention programmes in KS1 literacy

A focus on teaching assistants who are managing intervention programmes to develop listening and speaking, and reading and writing skills. TAs at Malorees Infants School face a challenge in teaching literacy to their pupils as 61 per cent of the children learn English as an additional language. Trained TAs at the school manage the intervention programmes Talking Partners and WAVE 3 to reintegrate children into mainstream teaching. Focusing on teaching assistants and trainee teachers supporting children in and out of KS1 classes, this programme may be useful to the support staff, trainee teachers and managers involved in the delivery of literacy at KS1.

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

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