In this section
The study of English develops children’s ability to listen, speak, read and write for a wide range of purposes, including the communication of their ideas, views and feelings. Children are enabled to express themselves creatively and imaginatively as they become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and script, as well as of non-fiction and media texts. Children become expert writers, gaining an understanding of how language works by looking at its patterns, structures and origins across a range of genres.
The aims of teaching English are:
- to enable children to speak clearly and audibly, and to take account of their listening;
- to encourage children to listen with concentration, in order to identify the main points of what they have heard;
- to show children how to adapt their speech to a wide range of situations;
- to teach children effective communication, both verbal and non-verbal, through a variety of drama activities;
- use discussion in order to learn; to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas;
- are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate;
- to help them become confident, independent readers, through an appropriate focus on word-, sentence- and text-level knowledge;
- to develop enthusiastic and reflective readers, through contact with challenging and substantial texts;
- to read easily, fluently and with good understanding;
- develop the habit of reading widely and often for both pleasure and information;
- acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language;
- appreciate our rich and varied literary heritage;
- to foster the enjoyment of writing, and a recognition of its value;
- to encourage accurate and meaningful writing, be it poetry, narrative or non-fiction;
- write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences;
- to improve the planning, drafting and editing of their written work; seeing writing as a process.
- to write with independence, applying their skills across to writing in other subject areas.