Literacy

Speaking and Listening

Purpose: To help our learners become confident speakers and engaged listeners so that they can communicate effectively and appropriately.

Principles

Oral language underpins all learning especially written language

Listening is required to function in all social environments

Skills are developed through talking and listening and purposeful practice

Oral language is fostered through creativity and experimentation

Guidelines

The learners will be given opportunities to use oral language in a variety of formal and informal situations across the curriculum

Learners will be actively involved as speakers and listeners

Oral language skills will be specifically taught at appropriate level

Reading

Purpose: Learners need to develop skills which will enable them to read and understand a variety of texts to contribute and involve themselves in society. 

Principles

Reading is important for personal development

Learners will read daily in the formal reading programme

Reading is a skills based programme

Emphasis will be on understanding and interacting with texts in an increasingly critical way

Guidelines

Reading will be linked with the other English strands

Reading is integrated into the other curriculum areas

The reading programme will involve range of teaching and learning strategies including reading: to; with; and by approaches to meet the needs of the children

Reading programme will involve ongoing assessment and evaluation for learning. The learners will receive quality feed forward and feedback

Writing

Purpose: Learners need to develop written skills which will enable them to communicate fluently and effectively through written language.

Principles

Learners need to be exposed to all the different text styles

The writing programme should build progressively

Writing enables learners to communicate with others. It enables them to actively explore ideas and to reflect on and select appropriate language