Aims

To develop students’ reading skills in terms of fluency, accuracy and comprehension through exposure to a diverse range of contemporary and modern texts in English Literature.
To foster enjoyment in reading in English and to expand student’s vocabulary and grammatical awareness.
To practice a range of reading skills, including: decoding and understanding new words, drawing on background knowledge, making inferences, understanding cause and effect, identifying themes, sequencing and prediction.
Through guided questioning and discussion, develop students’ understanding of how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning.
To provide opportunity for students to engage in collaborative writing projects for a range of text types (including simple poetry, narratives and plays) and so to develop their understanding of the different steps in the writing process (brainstorming, planning/ organising ideas, drafting, editing and ‘publishing’, or reading aloud the finished piece).
In the collaborative writing process, students will develop their knowledge of vocabulary, spelling, grammar and correct use of punctuation.

Texts that may be covered in the course

A range of popular contemporary children’s stories (e.g. Julia Donaldson, Dick King Smith, Anthony Browne, Jill Tomlinson)
A range of classic children’s stories (e.g. Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, Judith Kerr, ‘The Little Prince’, ‘Winnie the Pooh’, fairy tales/ fables)
Poetry for children (e.g. Haiku, Calligram, Limerick, Narrative Poetry, Kenning, Free Verse).
Short Plays for children.
Non-fiction: A range non-fiction texts including informational texts on topics such as animals, the body, space, the weather and seasons, and dinosaurs; a biography of a famous person; a news report; a letter or invitation, a recipe, and a diary entry.