According to recent analysis*, at the end of the 2020 autumn term there were measurable declines in attainment compared to the previous year across virtually all subjects and year groups. This was then followed by substantial drops in attainment between spring 2020 and 2021 across all subjects and year groups, more than twice the size of the drops seen at the end of autumn 2020.
*Risingstars-uk.com/whitepaper21
Schools have done what schools do best… had an impact on children’s learning to ensure that they are as close as they can be to the expected standard for their year group. To continue to accelerate progress in English across all year groups we should:
- Use high-quality texts that engage readers and inspire writers
- Model comprehension strategies with scaffolds until children are ready to access learning independently
- Teach grammar within a real context so that children can both practice and apply their learning
- Provide challenge and support within all sessions
- Promote meaningful writing opportunities for a range of purposes and audiences
- Encourage children to play with language and expand their vocabulary
Read in to Writing (RitW) embraces all of the above and more:
- High-quality texts have been chosen that represent both well-loved favourites and contemporary authors
- Progression has been built in across the academic year for each year group and indeed from EYFS-KS1-KS2
- Teacher plans have been presented in two formats – a streamlined two-page unit overview or more detailed session by session lesson plans
- Each unit includes a digital powerpoint of resources that include scaffolds for teachers to use in lessons; activities to share in lessons and Purpose/ Audience and Task grids for all writing tasks
- Photocopiable pupil resources are included as a download to support learning in class or as homework
The RitW resources speak for themselves. They can be used in face-to-face teaching and also as an online teaching tool to support learning at home or during the holidays.
Planning a whole-school English curriculum with progression built in at every step is a challenge; this has been executed already in this series.
The units are accessible and easy to use. Because the unit is digital, teachers have the choice to follow the planning and resources or to customise them to meet the needs of their pupils.
Because the planning has been presented in two ways, newly qualified or teachers new to year groups may benefit from the detailed plans whereas experienced teachers may appreciate time-saving by using the overview and dipping into the resources.
These RitW units may be the breath of fresh air that you have been looking for. There are a range of samples for each unit available here.
EYFS and KS1
Example of detailed lesson plan (EYFS, Simon Sock, Sue Hendra, Paul Linnet and Nick East):
Example of unit overview (EYFS, The Lion Inside, Rachel Bright):
Example of a writing scaffold (Y1, Oi Frog, Kes Grey):
Example of a reading scaffold (Y2, Tidy, Emily Gravett):
KS2
Example of teaching grammar in a context (Y3 Zoo, Anthony Brown):
Example of scaffolds to support and challenge (Y4, Phileas’s Fortune, Agnes de Lestrade)
Example of high-quality texts used (Y5, The Boy at the Back of the Class, Onjali Q Rauf):
Example of vocabulary building (Y6, The Arrival, Shaun Tan):
You can learn more about Read in to Writing here.
Tags
digital,
English,
reading,
writing