FS2 - LITERACY COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Outline

Overview

Literacy comes under the specific area of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The Literacy Syllabus at GEMS Wesgreen International Primary School aims to support students in becoming confident speakers, secure readers and creative writers who can write for a variety of purposes. We provide students with the opportunities to read and write a variety of texts, whilst building on their speaking and listening, reading and language skills.

Learning Outcomes

The aims of all subjects state what a teacher may expect to teach and what a student may expect to experience and learn. These aims suggest how the student may be changed by the learning experience.

The aims of the Literacy Syllabus is to encourage and enable students to:

• Use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds.
• To write some irregular common words.
• To write simple sentences, which can be read by themselves and others. Some words are spelt correctly and others are phonetically plausible.
• To read and understand simple sentences.
• To use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately. They also read some common irregular words.
• To demonstrate understanding when talking with others about what they have read.
• To hold a pencil using a tripod grip 
• To  be able to form letters correctly and sit them on a line
• To use their phonic knowledge when writing and spell some high frequency words correctly
• To be able to read back their writing
• To be able to write  a sentence using finger spaces, capital letters and full stops
• To be able to write for greater periods of time, writing at least two sentences
• To describe the main events in the stories
• Beginning to recognize the features of a nonfiction text
• To write for a purpose

Ongoing Objectives

There are objectives that are covered and built upon throughout each unit of work.

Writing

• Gives meaning to marks they make as they draw, write and paint
• Begins to break the flow of speech into words
• Hears and says the initial sound in words
•  Can segment the sounds in simple words and blend them together
•  Links sounds to letters, naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet
•  Uses some clearly identifiable letters to communicate meaning, representing some sounds correctly and in sequence
•  Writes own name and other things such as labels, captions
•  Attempts to write short sentences in meaningful contexts
• To write sentences including finger spaces, capital letters and full stop
• Begin to recognize features of a nonfiction text

Word reading

• Continues a rhyming string
•  Hears and says the initial sound in words
•  Can segment the sounds in simple words and blend them together and knows which letters represent some of them
•  Links sounds to letters, naming and sounding the letters of the alphabet
• Begins to read words and simple sentences
• Uses vocabulary and forms of speech that are increasingly influenced by their experiences of books
•  Enjoys an increasing range of books
•  Knows that information can be retrieved from books and computers.
• Begin to show awareness of different forms of print in the environment, for example, TV, Computer Screens, Posters.

Comprehension 

• Listens and enjoys sharing a range of books.
• Begin to use modelled vocabulary during role play for example in the Small World. 
  
• Seeks familiar texts or stories to re-read in the book area. 
• Begin to predict what might happen next in a story. 
• Requests favourite stories and poems for example during Vote for a story. Know that print carries meaning  
• Talk about events, feelings, main characters, where a story is set and recognise links to own life experiences.  
  
• Retell stories in the correct sequence, draw on language patterns of stories. 
  
• Say how they feel about stories and poems, what parts of the story they liked or disliked, can identify favourite characters, events, or settings and why. 
  
• Independently access the features of a non-fiction book. 
  
• Can talk about the Difference between Fiction and Non-Fiction text 
  
• Correctly sequence a story or event using pictures and/or captions.  
  
• Respond to questions about how and why something is happening. 
  
• Know the difference between different types of texts (fiction, nonfiction, poetry) 
  
• Play influenced by experience of books - gestures and actions used to act out a story, event or rhyme from text or illustrations. 
  

Unit Overviews

Term 1

Unit- Who am I?

Approximate length: 4 weeks

At the beginning of the topic of Kg1/ Reception, the children are exposed to fine motor activities to help strengthen their pencil grip and are encouraged to use different tools to mark make and ascribe meanings to the marks.  Furthermore, the children are encouraged to have a go at writing.

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• Give meanings to marks.
• To hear and say initial sounds.
• To break the flow of speech into words.
• To hold a pencil correctly
• Develop phonological awareness

Unit- Where are we from? 

Approximate length: 4 weeks

During this topic, the children will explore different cultures and traditions. In relation to the topic, the children will begin to form some recognizable letters and will learn to identify and write initial sounds and sounds that they can hear in a word. The children will also explore the story of ‘Handa’s Surprise’ and learn to write lists and label objects by writing the sounds they can hear.

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• To use phonic knowledge to write words, hearing initial, middle and end sounds
• To hear and say initial sounds
• To compose a sentence orally and begin to hold it before writing
• To begin to write for a purpose
• To begin to form recognizable letters

Unit- Where are the minibeasts hiding? 

Approximate length: 4 weeks   

During this topic, the children will explore fiction and non-fiction texts. The children will continue to practise letter formation and be confident in having a go at writing. They will explore the topic of minibeasts and learn to write a fact file using their phonetic knowledge.  The children will identify the features of a fact file and write their own.

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• To use phonic knowledge to write words, hearing initial, middle and end sounds
• Writes own names and other things such as labels and captions
• To compose a sentence orally and begin to hold it before writing
• To write for a range of purposes
• Uses some clearly identifiable letters to communicate meaning, representing some sounds correctly and in sequence.
• correspondences. Begin to read CVC words containing known letter-sound correspondences. 
• Start to introduce some digraphs 
• Recognise high frequency words I, the, to, then, no, go, into 

Term 2

Unit – Why did the Dinosaurs go Extinct? 

Approximate length: 4 weeks

In this topic, the children continue to explore nonfiction and fiction texts. In relation to the topic, the children will identify the structure of a sentence and start writing their own sentences about dinosaurs.

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• Attempts to write short sentences in meaningful contexts
• To write for a range of purposes
• Uses some clearly identifiable letters to communicate meaning, representing some sounds correctly and in sequence.
• To be able to read back their writing
• Can segment the sounds in simple words and blend them together.
• to write a sentence in a meaningful context
• To use finger spaces in between words.

Unit– What could we find in space?

 Approximate length: 4 weeks

In this topic, the children explore information texts in relation to the topic of space. We identify the structure and language features of an information text and the students write their own information texts. The children will continue to focus on sentence writing and sentence structure.

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• Attempts to write short sentences in meaningful contexts
• To write for a range of purposes
• Uses some clearly identifiable letters to communicate meaning, representing some sounds correctly and in sequence.
• To be able to read back their writing
• Can segment the sounds in simple words and blend them together.
• to write a sentence in a meaningful context
• To use finger spaces in between words.
• To write sentences in a meaningful context
• To begin to recognize features of a nonfiction text
• Some words are spelt correctly and others are phonetically plausible.

Unit – Who are the superheroes?                   

 Approximate length: 4 weeks

In this topic, the children explore superheroes within the community and fictional superheroes. They are given the opportunity to create their own superhero posters using adjectives. We identify the structure and language features of a poster and the students will create their own posters.  The children will continue to focus on sentence writing and sentence structure.

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• Attempts to write short sentences in meaningful contexts
• To write for a range of purposes
• Uses some clearly identifiable letters to communicate meaning, representing some sounds correctly and in sequence.
• To be able to read back their writing
• Can segment the sounds in simple words and blend them together.
• to write a sentence in a meaningful context
• To use finger spaces in between words.
• To write sentences in a meaningful context
• To begin to recognize features of a nonfiction text
• Some words are spelt correctly and others are phonetically plausible.

Term 3

Unit- Why do zebras have stripes?

Approximate length:2 weeks

In this topic, the children explore wild life animals and explore their favourite wild life animals. The children will furthermore, explore the story of ‘The Tiger Who Came for Tea’. We identify the structure and language features of a recipe and the students will write their own recipes for one of their favourite foods featured in the story. The children will continue to focus on sentence writing and sentence structure.

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• To use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds.
•  To write some irregular common words.
• To write simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others.
• To spell some words correctly and others are phonetically plausible.
• To read and understand simple sentences.
• To use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately.
• To begin to recognize features of a nonfiction text
• Some words are spelt correctly and others are phonetically plausible.
• Use capital letters, finger spaces and full stops in independent writing. 
• Spell words by identifying sounds in them and representing the sounds with a letter or letters. 
• Write simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others. 
• To check written sentences, make sense and begin to correct orally. 

Unit- Traditional Tales

Approximate length: 4 weeks

In this topic, the children explore a variety of Fairy Tales. They are given the opportunity to identify beginning, middle and end. We identify the structure and language features of a fairy tale and the students write their own versions of a fairy tale, this will include a beginning middle and end. The children will continue to focus on sentence writing and sentence structure.

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• To use their phonic knowledge to write words in ways which match their spoken sounds.
•  To write some irregular common words.
• To write simple sentences which can be read by themselves and others.
• To spell some words correctly and others are phonetically plausible.
• To read and understand simple sentences.
• To use phonic knowledge to decode regular words and read them aloud accurately.
• To describe the main events in the stories
• To use key features of narrative in their writing
• Use capital letters, finger spaces and full stops in independent writing.
• Spell words by identifying sounds in them and representing the sounds with a letter or letters. 
• Write simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others. 
• To check written sentences, make sense and begin to correct orally.

Assessment

Formative: Throughout the units, the children will be observed daily during their focus and continuous provision activities. The observations will help inform next steps and planning.

Summative: At the end of each term, we complete internal and standardized tests. This allows us to measure the students’ progress throughout the term and year. At the end of the academic year, the students complete the standardized GL and the EYFS profile.