Curriculum Architecture for Literacy in the Early Stages of Primary

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Curriculum Architecture for Literacy in the Early
Stages of Primary

• Literacy Pilot
• North Lanarkshire Council
• Learning Leisure Services

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Overall Aims

• The Primary One Literacy Programme has been
  designed to provide
• A clear structure for the development of literacy
  skills.
• A progressive programme for the teaching of
  phonics.
• Guidance on the teaching of reading and the
  development of comprehension skills.
• Guidance on the teaching of daily writing as well
  as the taught experiential writing lesson while
  promoting writing across the curriculum.
• Guidance on the teaching of spelling dictation.
• Suggestions on the minimum time allocations for
  the promotion of literacy skills across the
  curriculum as well as in English Language.
• Active learning linked to purposeful play.
• Development opportunities to staff increase staff
  confidence in the delivery of literacy across the
  curriculum making cross curricular links

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Desired Outcomes

• The primary One Literacy Programme has been
  designed to ensure that
• Childrens attainment in literacy will be
  improved
• Children will acquire the necessary literacy
  skills and confidence to develop their full
  potential and the four capacities of ACfE will be
  developed in every child.
• Teachers will be confident and competent in using
  their skills in the teaching of literacy and more
  able to identify cross curricular opportunities
  and integration of literacy skills.
• Children will be more independent in their
  learning and will be able to work and talk
  collaboratively whilst reflecting their own
  targets / learning outcomes.
• Childrens experiences of acquiring skills in
  literacy will not be developed via worksheets and
  workbooks but rather as a result of exposure to
  purposeful, meaningful, active and relevant
  learning contexts.

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The Process 1

• In year one, a total of ten schools were involved
  in developing the literacy programme and design
  of the support materials for the primary one
  class.
• In year two the second phase included a further
  forty schools.
• Pilot schools were schools who had expressed an
  interest and a desire to review their own
  practice in the light of A Curriculum for
  Excellence (ACfE).

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The Process 2

• A range of comparison schools were selected to
  allow formal evaluation and assessment of the
  impact of the project at the end of a two year
  period.
• The schools, whether pilot or comparison schools,
  were matched for economic status.

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Content of the Programme

• The programme has been structured under nine main
• sections as follows
• Daily / weekly planning and Forward Plans.
• Teaching of phonics, comprehension and guided
  reading.
• The taught experiential writing lesson daily
  cross curricular writing.
• Partner spelling and dictation.
• Integrated story telling and Talking Listening.
• Using the classroom and outdoor environments.
• Developing literacy through play the early
  years experience
• Ideas for successful transition ( Nursery to
  Primary )
• Additional support Needs (ASN).

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Section 1 Support Materials

• Daily / Weekly Planning
• This section provides
• The Primary One Language Planner for days one to
  five.
• Exemplar Early Literacy Task Boards.
• Comprehensive Planning and Evaluation formats
  for
• Reading
• Writing
• Talking Listening

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Section 2 Support Materials

• Teaching of phonics, comprehension and guided
  reading.
• This section provides
• The Primary One Phonics Programme.
• Guidance on the development of Comprehension
  Skills.
• Guided Reading Stages.
• Guided Reading Lessons ( Yellow Pink)

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Section 3 Support Materials

• The taught experiential writing lesson and daily
  cross curricular writing.
• This section provides
• Guidance on delivery of the taught lesson.
• A guide to organising Active Literacy.
• Literacy foldouts.
• Word mats.
• Reading to Write Activities
• Shape / Strip books
• Beginning, Middle End.
• Zig- zag Books.
• This section also contains photographic evidence
  of the materials in use.

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Section 4 Support Materials

• Partner Spelling and Dictation
• This section provides
• Guidance on general spelling methodology
• Lists of common words
• Desired outcomes
• Four suggested activities
• Exemplar Clip on spelling mats

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Section 5 Support Materials

• Integrated Story Telling and
• Talking Listening
• This section provides
• An overview of the use of traditional tales,
  stories and folk tales in developing listening
  talking capability, story / text skills as well
  as comprehension strategies.
• Exemplar lessons using two well known Traditional
  Tales as the stimulus.
• Suggestions for extension activities.

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Section 6 Support Materials

• Using the Classroom and the Outdoor Environment
• This section provides
• Guidance on developing a literate rich classroom
  environment.
• Rationale and general principles for promoting
  literacy out of doors.
• Reference resources for the implementation of
  outdoor activities and experiences.

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Section 7 Support Materials

• Links with Play
• This section provides
• A General Overview of Literacy through Play.
• and guidance on
• Developing Literacy through Imaginative Play.
• Cross Curricular Links to Literacy through
  Imaginative Play.
• Developing Literacy in the Outdoor Environment.

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Section 8 Support Materials

• Additional Support Needs (A.S.N. )
• Materials for this section will be prepared
  during session 2007 2008.

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Project Evaluation

• The project was evaluated using
• Standardised reading assessment
• Teacher questionnaire
• Focus groups

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Project Evaluationfrom class teacher interviews
/ focus groups

• Comment from class teachers who have been
  involved in delivering the
• programme and in trialling of the materials
  March 2007
• In joining the project, we did not realise the
  impact that Active Literacy would
• have both on ourselves and the children. This
  holistic way of teaching literacy
• has engaged the childrens interest through a
  multi-sensory approach. Children
• are keen to participate in activities, especially
  the boys. The childrens attitude
• to reading and writing has been changed
  dramatically by this enjoyable
• approach to teaching.
• We have enjoyed the opportunity to try new
  resources, to compare the
• results and to share ideas with our colleagues in
  the group.
• We believe the childrens active involvement in
  their learning encourages them to be
• more independent, confident and co-operative.
• We have all recognised that attainment levels
  have improved and childrens attitudes
• have changed through the development of Active
  Literacy in our schools.
• The project has brought back success and fun for
  both the staff and the children.

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Implications

• Qualitative Evidence of the Projects Impact on
  Learning Teaching and Attainment
• The average reading age of the P.2 children in
  the experimental group is 5 months higher than
  the average reading age of the P.2 control
  children who did not receive the intervention
• This result is significantly significant (T
  3.309, DF 102 p lt 0.005 one tailed)

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Implications
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Conclusion

• The project has raised attainment in reading.
• The project has begun to redress the effects of
  poverty on attainment in literacy.

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Future Literacy Developments

• Staff development through roll out of the
  programme for
• Senior managers in schools
• Early years staff
• Classroom assistants
• Early years workers / nursery nurses

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Future Developments contd.

• Taking the project into Primaries 2 3.
• Build on the projects success in address
  disadvantage and its negative effect on learning.
• Further develop integrated play through
  storylines and cross curricular activities while
  supporting pupil choice.
• Integrated literacy work from P4 P7.
• Continue to evaluate the project through
  multi-agency working.
• Future research to evaluate the impact of teacher
  behaviour, pupil behaviour and classroom
  organisation on learning and attainment

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Resources

• Active Literacy for Early Stages Primary
  North Lanarkshire Council Publication
  date July 2007.
• Traditional Tales.
• Cross Curricular Themes.