English
At Mackie Hill Junior and Infant School, we recognise that English is the gateway to the success of all our children – it is the key to their future accomplishments. With this at the heart of our English curriculum, we have tailored it to ensure our children leave Mackie Hill as fluent speakers, confident writers and avid readers. Early synthetic phonics, together with focus on communication and language, provide firm foundations for our children early on. This is further nourished and built upon as they move through school with listening and reading comprehension, word recognition and extended writing opportunities. English is the cornerstone of our entire curriculum and is embedded within all our lessons, where we strive for high expectations for all. We understand that these skills in language not only impact on a child’s progress across the whole curriculum, but also has a profound influence upon the course of his or her whole life.
At Mackie Hill, we aim to:
- Cultivate and nourish a positive attitude in all our children towards reading and writing through a broad, balanced and engaging curriculum
- Encourage reading for pleasure to equip children with an enriched imagination and more developed narrative writing style
- Develop children’s ability to become confident users of language, both oral and written
- Provide clear and consistent teaching throughout the school
Useful websites for English:
https://www.spellingshed.com/en-gb/ - Here children are able to practise their spellings and access spelling or grammar assignments set by their teacher. Each child has their own log-in details – if they are unsure, please contact their class teacher
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/ - A fantastic resource to support your child’s reading and writing, including free e-books to enjoy together
https://www.worldbookday.com/world-of-stories/ - a selection of free audio books for all ages to listen to
https://bookfairs.scholastic.co.uk/chapter-one - Well-loved authors and illustrators share first chapters of their books to engage and entertain young readers
https://www.booksfortopics.com/booklists/books-of-the-month-2022/ - a terrific website with a wide and varied list of books links to topics, ages and interests. They have an updated recommended reading list every month with super new reads.