Literacy Across the Curriculum

At King Edward VI School, Lichfield we are passionate about literacy and its fundamental importance in improving students’ life chances. Using the key principles of Disciplinary Literacy set out in the Education Endowment Foundation’s guidance report ‘Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools’ we are developing a culture where ‘All teachers are teachers of literacy’. This means that literacy is a focus for all teachers across every subject area.  

Skills

We aim to develop the literacy skills of pupils through whole school strategies which are adapted for subject specific purposes.

This includes:  

  • Improving pupils’ ability to use a wider range of Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary effectively, helping to close the reading gap  
  • Closing the ‘reading gap’ by developing pupils’ skills to read complex academic texts and through fostering a love of reading for pleasure  
  • Developing extended writing skills appropriate for different contexts and purposes  

Alongside the work done across subject areas all pupils will have the following opportunities to improve their skills: 

 

  • All Year 8 pupils take part in the Accelerated Reader Programme where they spend one registration period a fortnight in the LRC and are encouraged to read books suitable for their own reading level. Our dedicated LRC staff are always on hand to ensure that pupils are motivated and able to find books that suit their interests. Pupils also have one English lesson a fortnight which has an Accelerated Reader focus  
  • All Year 9 pupils take part in the Bedrock programme as part of their English lessons. This is an online programme which supports vocabulary and grammar development in the context of a diverse range of prose which helps pupils’ cultural capital. It supports the acquisition of Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary across all subject areas
  • We are currently trialling Sparx Reader with Year 7. This is an online reading programme which works out pupils’ reading level and provides a range of books which can be read on any device. This encourages pupils to read carefully with regular questions throughout the text 
  • During registration periods from Year 7 - 9 pupils will have at least one session per week which has a literacy or reading focus

Reading is the ‘master skill’ in school, and absolutely key to learning and the more you know, the easier it is to read. Reading can be likened to Velcro in that the more words you have, the more it sticks. The more vocabulary you have the better, as it helps you to read strategically. Reading gives pupils access to more complex vocabulary than listening or talking. To this end, we encourage parents and carers to inspire their children to read at home as well as in school.

Ways in which you can help at home include:  

  • Set a good example and let your child see you reading 
  • Talk to your child about things you and they have read in books, newspapers, magazines and online. Discuss characters, plot and what they enjoy
  • Read aloud to your child (children learn from ‘expert’ readers who can model good reading) or listen to them read  
  • Help your child to develop their vocabulary by discussing and looking up words they don’t recognise
  • Encourage your child to make use of the wonderful facility that we have in school in the LRC. You could also take them to the local library or use apps like Borrow Box  
  • If you child struggles to find enjoyment in reading, encourage them to read non-fiction books or websites linked to their hobbies or interests or try audio books  

If you have any questions please contact kriley@keslichfield.org.uk (Mrs Riley, Lead Teacher for Literacy).