How do we teach English at St Mary’s? A meeting for parents

To create a shared understanding of how we teach English at St Mary’s (Including how we are integrating the new curriculum) AIM

St Mary’s is a Power Of Reading school. That means that we are part of a project run by CLPE (The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education) It means that well written core texts are at the heart of our English curriculum and that our approach is inclusive and collaborative. We use reading aloud, discussion, art, drama and role play in our pre-writing phase.

Through the project the teachers at St Mary’s have developed an enthusiasm and knowledge about current and classic books that is passed on to the children. The teaching of English is not only how to read and write but developing the children’s desire to do so.

PISA Study Progress in International Student Assessment “ Being more enthusiastic about reading, and a frequent reader, was more of an advantage on its own than having well educated parents in good jobs.”

Reading Aloud ‘Reading aloud to children may be the single most important thing a teacher does.’ Anne Thomas ( editor of the Reading Book) ‘When someone reads aloud, they raise you to the level of the book. They give you reading as a gift.’ Georges Perros quoted in ‘The Rights of the Reader’ by Daniel Pennac

‘Tell Me’: the basic questions Likes What did you like about the book/ story/picture? Dislikes Was there anything you disliked about it? Puzzles Was there anything that puzzled you? Connections/Patterns Does it remind you of anything? Did you notice any pattern?

Read aloud Listen to the following extract read aloud and in pairs discuss the following extract from this text. Say what you liked and anything you disliked

The wolf’s yellow eye is large and round, with a black pupil in the middle. And it never blinks. The boy could be watching a candle flame in the dark. All he can see is the eye: the trees, the zoo and the enclosure had disappeared. All that’s left is the eye of the wolf. It grows fatter and rounder, like a harvest moon in an empty sky. The pupil in the middle grows darker, and he can make out small coloured flecks in the yellow brown iris - a speck of blue here, like frozen water below the sky; a glimmer of gold there, shiny as straw. But what really matters is the pupil. The black pupil. You wanted to stare at me, it seems to be saying, so go ahead, stare at me! It sparkles so brightly, its scary. Like a flame. That’s what it is, thinks the boy, a black flame! Then he answers. “All right, Black Flame, I’m staring at you and I’m not frightened.” The pupil blazes like fire as it fills the eye. But no matter how fat it gets, the boy never looks away. When everything has become pitch black, he discovers what nobody has ever seen in the wolf’s eye before: the pupil is alive. There, staring and growling at the boy, is a black she-wolf snuggled up with her cubs. She doesn’t move, but you can tell she’s tense as a thunderstorm under her shiny fur. Her gums are pulled back to expose her dazzling fangs; her paws are twitching. She’s ready to pounce. She’d swallow a small boy like him in a single mouthful. “So you’re really not frightened?”

We can use the same approaches with an image What puzzles does this picture raise for you…. Do you make any connections with it?

Having something to write about and shared writing…

Which pair of verbs correctly completes the sentence below? Pluto ______ now called a dwarf planet, but once it _____ classified as a planet. Tick one. was is was was is is is was The grammar test KS2

Draw a line to match each prefix to the correct word so that it makes a new word. Prefix Word re mature de understood mis legible im frost il do

Circle one verb in each underlined pair to complete the sentences using Standard English. We was / were planning to hold a cake sale at school. I was / were chosen to design the posters

Write the contracted form of the underlined words in the box. That decision does not seem fair

Tick one box to show which part of the sentence is a relative clause. The table which is made of oak is now black with age

Circle all the pronouns in the sentence below. They bought new jumpers for themselves and a warm scarf for Dad.

Circle the two words in the sentence below that are synonyms of each other. He was lucky to win first prize – he knew it was fortunate that his closest rival had decided not to take part.

Tick all the sentences that contain a preposition. Ali locked the door before he left. The shops are beyond the main road. My brother is behind me in the race. Barry is below Andrew in the register

Write a sentence using the word cover as a noun. Remember to punctuate your answer correctly. Write a sentence using the word cover as a verb. Remember to punctuate your answer correctly.

What does the root “struct” mean in the word family below? destruction structure reconstruct Tick one. break build carry touch

Underline the verb form that is in the present perfect in the passage below. Rachel loves music and has wanted to learn how to play the piano for years. She was hoping for piano lessons, and was delighted when her parents gave her a keyboard for her birthday

Complete the sentence below so that it uses the subjunctive form. If I __________ to have one wish, it would be for good health.

KS2 – 49 questions in the sample grammar and punctuation paper (45 mins). (Separate spelling paper aural) Reading paper

Thank you for coming!