Literacy
Language comprehension
We are passionate about reading for pleasure at WHPS, and we want the children to know the joy that reading can bring. Our reading corners are inviting areas for the children to use and have a wide range of books that families can borrow to read at home.
In the EYFS our curriculum themes are strongly linked to carefully chosen rich core texts. These enable us to explore different themes and concepts along with opportunities to develop language and introduce new vocabulary. Story and rhyme times are fun and interactive daily events.
We hold special reading events to share our love of reading. These include a cosy ‘Winter Read’, invitations for parents to come to read at our annual world book day celebrations.
Word Reading
Planned activities to develop phonic awareness begin in our Nursery, and in Reception it becomes a daily phonics lesson following the Little Wandle letters and sounds scheme.
In the afternoons, adults from across the school join us in Reception so that every child can read three times a week in a guided reading group. Reading books matched to the children’s reading level are then sent home for children to practise.
The children’s progress is carefully monitored and keep-up groups are created so that all children can achieve.
Writing
At WHPS we know that learning to be an effective writer requires a combination of specific skills, knowledge, understanding and attitudes:
- Developing strong phonetic skills for spelling
- Possessing good fine motor skills for letter formation
- Acquiring effective language skills to plan what they want to say and to check that writing makes sense
- Creativity to come up with imaginative ideas – which is fed hugely by listening to many different stories
- Knowing that writing can be used for many different and useful purposes.
- Underpinning all of this is knowing that a good writer will also accept that making mistakes and looking for ways to improve writing is all part of the process.
Throughout the EYFS we enable children to develop all of these skills as well as provide interesting and motivating reasons to write. We carefully monitor children’s progress so that targeted support can be given in different areas where this is required.
