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| Writing initiative - English - 16/8/2008
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Many of you will be aware either from your children talking at home, or talk in celebration assembly, that we are focusing on improving children’s writing this year at Nettlestone.
Last October, Nettlestone teachers joined with teachers from the Ryde Cluster of schools for a training day on improving standards in writing. All the primary and middle schools in the cluster have adopted the same approach to teaching writing and have set up thorough assessment systems to measure the progress that each child is making. One of the aims of this initiative is to make children aware of what they need to do to improve their writing. We believe that it is important for children to be taught the skills of writing in a systematic way and to understand what they need to do to improve their writing.
We work with children in 4 main areas.
Collectively the four areas are known to the children as VCOP (vocabulary, connectives, openers and punctuation). Look around your child's classroom and you will see VCOP on display. | | |
| Would you like to help your child with maths? - Maths - 15/8/2008
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Hopefully the following pages will help you to do just that!
Calculating Mentally
The expectation, for the average child, is that he/she is able to mentally add or subtract any pair of 2 digit numbers by the age of 8 or 9. The child should also know their 2,5 and 10 times table by heart.
Formal written calculation should not be taught until these have been achieved. This development stage will vary considerably from child to child.
Key skills and understanding include:
Know number bonds up to 20- all addition/subtraction facts, up to 20, and their inverse.
3 + 4 = 7
4 + 3 = 7
7 – 3 = 4
7 – 4 = 3
By knowing one fact, we know at least three others
Deriving facts from known facts
If we know 3 + 4 = 7, then we also know
30 + 40 =70 and
300 + 400 =700, and, later,
0.3 + 0.4 = 0.7
Multiplication tables and division facts.
3 x 4 = 12
4 x 3 = 12
12 ÷ 3 = 4
12 ÷ 4 = 3
By knowing one fact, we know at least three others
Calculations are presented horizontally to ensure children focus on the numbers involved and develop mental strategies for quick, efficient working out.
28 + 11 = 28 + 10 + 1 = 39
25 + 26 = 25 + 25 + 1 = 51
162 – 99 = 162 – 100 + 1 = 63
Children must be able to mentally add/subtract any pair of 2 digit numbers before moving on to formal written calculations. Informal jottings should be encouraged to support this process:
e.g. the use of a number line
65+28 =93
See first image
62-29=33
See second image
The links below will take you to information about how we teach written calculation at Nettlestone Primary School and throughout the Ryde Cluster of Schools. When your child moves to a Middle School in the Ryde area, they will use the same methods. | | |
| Handwriting sheet - English - 26/11/2008
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| This is the script that we use at Nettlestone.
handwritingsheet.pdf
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| Punctuation - English - 16/8/2008
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The Punctuation Pyramid
The punctuation pyramid, illustrated on this page, is a simple and highly effective tool for the development of punctuation. It has immediate impact on the accuracy of punctuation used by children writing at level 3 onwards, and stimulates experimentation needed at level 2 and above.
Each classroom has a large pyramid on display. Children are taught that each line of the pyramid represents one level, from Level 1 to Level 5. Punctuation marks are named by the teachers and examples of their use are modelled by teachers in literacy lessons, and children are encouraged to spot punctuation marks in the texts that they read. They are also asked to look at their own writing and assess which level they think they are working at and what punctuation marks they need to start using to reach the next level.
I think it would also be useful to let you know about National Curriculum Levels at this point: Level 2 is the level that the average child in Year 2 (6&7 year olds) reach, Level 3 is the level that the average child in Year 4 (8&9year olds) reach, and level 4 is the level that the average child in Year 6 (10&11 year olds) reach. | | |
| Vocabulary - English - 16/8/2008
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Wow Words
Many of you will have been asked by your children to help them to find some "wow" words. One of the targets we want the children to aim for is to use a range of interesting and ambitious vocabulary in their writing. By ambitious we mean a word not usually used by a child at their age or stage of development.
For example: At the age of 5/6 words like ‘exciting’ ‘interesting’ ‘afraid’; at the age of 6/7 words like ‘adventure’ ‘accident’ ‘magic’; at the age of 7/8 ‘gigantic’ ‘silently’ ‘sadness’ ‘baggage’ ‘companion’; at age 8/9 ‘attractive’ patiently’ ‘courage’ ‘furnishings’
In each classroom we have a ‘Vocabulary’ area. Children are encouraged to contribute ‘wow’ words to this space. They must be able to explain what the word means. The words are displayed for all to see and children are encouraged to ‘steal’ these words to use in their writing. Children who use these words in the correct context are praised by the teacher, and sometimes get a mention in our Friday assembly. | | |
| Synthetic Phonics - English - 25/9/2008
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Last week we held an information evening for parents about synthetic phonics. Here are some notes from the evening.
A guide to Synthetic Phonics
Background: The Rose Report
In 2006 the government commissioned a national review of the way that reading was taught. Sir Jim Rose outlined his findings in the Rose Report. Rose stated:-
The case for systematic phonic work is overwhelming and much strengthened by a synthetic approach, the key features of which are to teach beginner readers-
Letter/sound correspondences in a clearly defined sequence
To apply the highly important skill of blending phonemes in order all through a word to read it
To apply the skills of segmenting words into their constituent phonemes to spell”
So what does this actually mean......
Some terms explained:
Phoneme: This is the smallest unit of sound in a word. It can be represented by one, two or more letters. Any one phoneme may have more than one way of being written, e.g. the sound /ee/ is represented by different letters in the words ‘meat’, ‘sleep’, ‘me’ and ‘piece’.
Grapheme: This is a letter or group of letters which represents a spoken phoneme. Any given grapheme may represent more than one phoneme. For example the grapheme ea represents different phonemes in leap, steak, and bear.
Segmenting - To break spoken words into their constituent phonemes.
Blending - To run individual phonemes together to make a word.
There are 47 phonemes in the English language
We use the 26 letters of the alphabet either singly or in groups of letters to write the phonemes.
How we teach synthetic phonics at Nettlestone
Code-Breakers in Reception and Year 1 is primarily concerned to achieve two aims.
To show children that the words we say can be broken up into identifiable individual sounds.
To demonstrate that writing is a code. We can write down these sounds that we hear.
In pursuit of these aims, the main thrust of the sessions in Reception and Year 1 is to help the children to identify and count the number of sounds in each word (segment) and then to write down these sounds in order (encode). Simultaneously, these sessions address letter formation and handwriting.
In Year 2 Code-Breakers adopts a sound-led approach, as in Year 1, and shows children how we can write and then memorise a wide range of phoneme-to-grapheme patterns in words.
Key skills for writing
Segment and count sounds and use cradles to represent these visually.
Encode each sound onto cradles, discussing alternatives where appropriate.
Blend the sounds together to read back the word.
Key Skills for reading
The teacher marks individual sounds using cradles, or helps children to do this.
Decode the individual sounds, discussing possible alternatives.
Blend the sounds together to read the word.
How can you help at home?
Promote a love of reading
Let your child see you reading for pleasure
Read to your child
Join the library
Encourage you child to read anything
When?
As often as possible. Ten minutes a day is a good guide.
Choose a time when your child is happy to read- not when their favourite television programme is on or when a friend has come to play. Make sure it is not a time when your child is too tired.
Choose a time when you are happy to listen- not when you are in the middle of something else and can’t give your full attention.
Where?
Somewhere quiet where you both feel comfortable and can sit closely together.
Somewhere where you are least likely to be interrupted- by television noise, or other members of the family etc.
Look at the cover- discuss what the book might be about.
Read the title of the book and the author.
Open the book and talk about the pictures, talk about what might happen.
Start reading!
Encourage your child to sound the words out, blending the sounds as they do so
Praise all their efforts- don’t point out or get upset about their ‘failure’ to read a word. Children are individuals and they all progress at different rates- be proud of what your child can do!
Explain the meaning of any words they are unsure of.
Ask questions that encourage your child to predict what may happen next. Listen to your child- try not to do all the talking!
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| High frequency words - English - 16/8/2008
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Reception high frequency words:
I, go, come, want, up, you, day, was, look, are, the, of, we, this, dog, me, like, going, big, she, and, they, my, see, on, away, mum, it, at, play, no, yes, for, a, dad, can, he, am, all, is, cat, get, said, to, in.
Year 1 and Year 2 high frequency words:
has, had, an, as, bed, but, did, from, got, school, him, his, if, jump, not, of, want, one, little, there, do, off, could, put, than, that, them, then, us, when, love, new, about, another, because, by, can’t, down, half, home, just, live, after, back, been, called, first, have, house, last, made, again, ball, brother, came, don’t, good, her, how, laugh, make, many, much, next, old, out, seen, so, their, time, tree, who, were, may, must, night, once, over, should, some, these, too, water, what, would, more, name, now, our, people, sister, take, took, very, way, where, your, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, day, week, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, month, year, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, number, red, orange, green, blue, black, white, brown, pink, purple, grey.
Year 3 revise previous high frequency words
Year 4 and Year 5 high frequency words
asked, began, being, can’t, didn’t, don’t, found, gone, show, brought, change, does, goes, heard, told, used, might, think, coming, I’m, jumped, leave, opened, started, think, thought, watch, knew, know, stopped, tries, turned, walked, write, woken, ask, almost, before, during, every, first, morning, number, often, still, until, always, any, better, half, much, never, only, second, today, sometimes, suddenly, upon, while, year, young, above, below, different, high, other, place, round, such, under, across, between, following, inside, near, outside, right, where, without, along, both, through, together, around, also, baby, balloon, great, sure, birthday, children, garden, happy, something, those, work, word, clothes, brother, head, heard, swimming, earth, lady, own, why, whole, eyes, father, friends, important, light, money, mother, paper, sister, small, white, sound, window, seen, been, green, deep, keep, sleep, neat, seat, beat, meat, made, shade, blade, spade, rain, train, brain, again, name, night, light, right, sight, fright, kite, bite, white, write, boat, goat, nose, rose, close, show, know, glow, flow, moon, soon, room, boot, goose, blue, drew, flew, tune, pull, good, look, took, book, stood, wood, car, bar, far, hard, card, scarf, farmyard, park, dark, boil, oil, coin, noisy, toilet, boiling, cow, brown, town, down, sound, owl, flowerpot, round, mouth, fair, scare, care, dare, bear, there, wear, hair, share, sport, floor, claw, door, caught, more, store, snore, her, were, bird, fur, nurse, turn, purple, turkey, first. | | |
| First steps in writing - English - 16/8/2008
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Speaking and listening skills are crucial in the Early Years. Children are encouraged to talk to each other and adults all the time. They are encouraged to extend sentences orally, rather than always recording sentences in writing.
Children are taught how to form letters and to write their name correctly. They are introduced to key vocabulary; the National Literacy Strategy has identified key words for each year group that children are taught to first read then spell. In addition to these words days of the week, months and colours are taught. Many of you with children in Year R, 1 and 2 will have been involved in helping your child to learn these words, and children in Years 3 and 4 also have weekly spellings that they need to learn.
A list of the words for each year group is on the website. | | |
| Connectives and Openers - English - 16/8/2008
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Connectives are used to join sentences together. Children are encouraged to use a wider range of connectives as they progress through the national curriculum levels: At level 1 they will start to join two sentences together using ‘and’, at level 2 they will start to use ‘but’, ‘so’, ‘then’ and also be introduced to and begin to experiment with a wider range of connectives; ‘because’ ‘if’ ‘when’. At level 3 they use a wider range of connectives which might include some of the following; because, before, after, when, if. Children also learn to use connectives to open sentences; Before, After, When. At level 4 children use a range of connectives, usually accurately and consistently. They experiment in the use of more ambitious connectives to open sentences e.g. Although, Having, Despite.
Openers do what they say- they open sentences. At level 1 they start sentences with words like The, My and I. At level 2 they can use openers to show a sequence; First, Then, Next. They begin to use connectives to start sentences. At level 3 they start to use more sophisticated openers; Although, After a while…, The golden sun shone, The little, old man…. At level 4 they use ambitious connectives to open sentences Having, Despite, and phrases such as ‘Due to the lack of..’, Before the audience left….’ | | |
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