Literacy Hour in England

and Year Group Objectives. The daily Literacy Hour is divided up into four sections: The lesson starts with the whole class working on a shared text where the teacher is able to model effective reading or writing and where all pupils can actively participate. Then comes a short period of word level or sentence level work. The focus of this part of the lesson is to teach and consolidate phonic knowledge which the children can then apply in their reading and writing or on spelling or sentence construction. Twenty minutes of the lesson is for independent work where pupils apply their literacy skills in meaningful tasks individually, in pairs or in groups. The teacher works with small groups to improve specific skills through guided reading or writing. The final 10 minutes of the lesson is the plenary session which allows teachers and children to reflect on and assess what has been learnt and to think about how to develop what they have learnt further. The main objectives for each Year group are: Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6

Year 3 Literacy Targets

Listening and Speaking

Begin to talk and listen confidently in different contexts, exploring and communicating ideas. Have an awareness that in some situations a more formal vocabulary and tone of voice are used. In discussions that can show that they have listened carefully by responding with relevant comments and questions. Be able to read aloud or recite by heart poetry that plays with language whilst taking note of punctuation and meaning.

Reading

Understand the distinction between fact, fiction and non-fiction and notice the differences in style and structure of fiction and non-fiction writing. Be able to locate information in non-fiction texts by using contents, index, headings, sub-headings and page numbers. Be able to identify typical story themes (good over evil, wise over foolish) and recognise the styles and voices of traditional story language. Be able to identify main and recurring characters and discuss characters feelings, behaviour and relationships. Be able to distinguish between rhyming and non-rhyming poetry.

Writing

Be able to plan main points as a structure for story writing and plan and write own myths, fables and alternative versions of traditional tales. Write shape and performance poems and poetry that uses sounds to create effects e.g. onomatopoeia, alliteration and distinctive rhythms. Be able to write non-chronological reports from known information, recipes, letters and messages and experiment with recounting events in a variety of ways. Start to develop the use of settings in own stories. Write simple playscripts based on reading and oral work

Year 4 Literacy Targets

Listening and Speaking

To talk and listen with more confidence in an increasing range of contexts e.g. discussion, stories, poetry, debates etc. Children are developing their ideas in thought first before speaking i.e. thinking their ideas through. Able to describe events and convey their opinions clearly. Are beginning to take notice of standard English in vocabulary and grammar. Understand that standard English is used in certain situations.

Reading

To understand how writers create imaginary worlds, particularly where this is original or unfamiliar. To understand how settings influence events and incidents in stories and how they affect characters behaviour and to compare and contrast settings across a range of stories. To understand how the use of expressive and descriptive language can e.g. create moods, arouse expectations, build tension, describe attitudes or emotions. To identify social, moral or cultural issues in stories. To describe how a poet does or does not use rhyme e.g. every alternative line, rhyming couplets, no rhyme, and patterns of rhyme.

Writing

To use photographs in story writing to organise/sequence the story. To develop use of settings in own writing, making use of work on adjectives and figurative language to describe settings effectively. Note making to edit down a sentence or passage by deleting the less important elements. To write own longer stories in chapters from story plans. To write poems, experimenting with different styles and structures, discuss if and why different forms are more suitable than others.

Year 5 Literacy Targets

Listening and Speaking

Be able to read, rehearse and modify performance of poetry. In discussion they should aim to be able to listen carefully, make contributions and ask questions that are responsive to others ideas and views. Be able to talk and listen confidently in a wide range of contexts including some that are of a formal nature and be able to use appropriately some of the features of standard English vocabulary and grammar.

Reading

To understand terms which describe different kinds of poems e.g. ballad, sonnet, rap, elegy and narrative poems. To be able to compare the structure of different stories and be able to describe how characters are presented. To recognise the features of different fiction genre, including myths, legends, fables and stories from other cultures. To identify the features of recounted texts, instructional and explanatory texts and persuasive texts.

Writing

Edit writing to improve its quality and accuracy by adding punctuation, using a range of connectives and complex sentence constructions and correcting spellings. To use the structures of different poems to write their own work and to convey feelings, reflections or moods in a poem through the careful choice of words and phrases. To write their own playscript, applying conventions learned from reading, including production notes. To be able to write recounts, instructional texts, letters and arguments for a variety of audiences.

Year 6 Literacy Targets

Listening and Speaking

To communicate to different audiences, engaging the interest of the listeners by the increasing development of vocabulary and expression. To participate in discussions, listening carefully to what others say, asking questions and developing ideas. To understand that formal situations require Standard English and to be able to use clear diction and appropriate intonation and language in these situations. To be able to speak aloud to an audience, expressing themselves confidently and clearly, having organised what they want to say.

Reading

To become enthusiastic, independent and reflective readers. To be able to describe and evaluate the style and techniques of an author justifying their interpretation by reference to the text. To be able to appreciate more complex texts with different layers of meaning and to understand how these are being created. To be able to describe and evaluate a range of texts by commenting on style, genre, appeal etc. To be able to locate information in books by using appropriate strategies for the task, such as note-taking, distinguishing between fact and fiction and skimming and scanning.

Writing

To understand that writing is a means of developing, organising and communicating ideas. To be able to write for a range of readers and situations and in response to a variety of stimuli, clearly conveying meaning and engaging the interest of the reader. To be able to plan, draft and improve their writing, using paragraphs to mark the main division and using a range of punctuation correctly to vary pace and clarify meaning. To develop a style where simple and complex sentences are used

effectively and sentence structures and vocabulary are varied to create specific effects.

To develop the use of figurative language, such as personification and make the appropriate choices between Standard English, colloquialism and dialect according to the formality of the writing.