At Old Oak we recognise that equal importance needs to be placed on the study of speaking and listening, reading and writing. 
 

Effective speaking and listening skills are essential for all children to express themselves creatively and to communicate with others. At Old Oak all children are confident and imaginative in their play and language skills. They are encouraged to discuss their ideas and work with adults and peers alike. We believe that drama, roleplay and discussion are an integral part of English learning.
 

At Old Oak we are dedicated to the practice of reading for pleasure. Through the development of a love for reading and of texts we are able to encourage all pupils to read with purpose and skill. Writing is essential across all areas of the curriculum and we encourage cross curricular writing at every opportunity. At Old Oak we are dedicated to ensuring that all our children are able to write with skill and enthusiasm.
 

Letters and sounds is a vital part of the early primary education curriculum, as it lays a foundation for all reading and writing development in the classroom. Teaching letters and sounds in the classroom is the method used in the UK when teaching children how to read. Letters and Sounds is a way of teaching children to read by linking phonemes and the symbols they represent, which are called graphemes or letter groups. As a result, it's a core component of English teaching, so it is important for children to engage with their lessons.
 

At Old Oak, we use a robust and systematic approach to teaching these letters and sounds called Twinkl Phonics. Validated by the DfE, this programme nurtures a love of reading and writing, whilst guiding children towards fluency. This phonics programme is complimented by Rhino Readers which are perfectly-aligned, full-decodable reading books for Levels 2-6. These are engaging and high-quality texts with real story plots for every reading ability.
 

More information on Twinkl Phonics can be found here:
 

Phonics - Reading Lessons - Types of Phonics Teaching

Using Synthetic Phonics

The Power of Reading:

Children develop their English language skills by incorporating the successful 'Power of Reading' and 'Power of Writing' programmes developed by the Centre for Literacy in the Primary Education (CLPE). We have used these programmes as the framework for our own curriculum which motivates and excites both staff and children alike. Teachers use quality texts as a basis for the literacy teaching, and have a range of exciting strategies and techniques to bring the texts to life and develop children's creativity. We have also introduced a writing book in which the children collect all their extended pieces of writing and teachers mark to support a dialogue between themselves and the child on how best to improve. This is coupled with a specially devised programme for spelling and punctuation.
 

Alongside this, the staff continue their guided reading regularly throughout the week.
 

For more information of the CLPE Power of Reading programme visit their website:
 

CLPE Power of Reading