Literacy at The John of Gaunt School

Talk for Writing

Talk for Writing is an engaging teaching framework developed by Pie Corbett and Julia Strong. It is powerful because it is based on the principles of how children learn, with particular emphasis on how they internalise text structures through ‘talking the text’. The Talk for Writing process creates opportunities for regular deconstruction and co-construction of excellent model texts, before students imitate these. This allows students to move from dependence to independence. Confidence in writing is built through the Talk for Writing Toolkit, which includes strategies such as verbal rehearsal, mime, text-mapping and activities to ‘warm up the words’. At the John of Gaunt School we have embedded the use of the Talk for Writing process and toolkit across all areas of the curriculum.

Building Word Consciousness

Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary is taught explicitly by subject teachers through learning cycles and tutors as they read texts from the literary canon aloud during tutor time. Students practise retrieving and using this vocabulary as part of their weekly homework tasks. They are also regularly tested on this vocabulary in lessons, through low-stakes retrieval practice. 

Literacy Interventions

To support verbal communication skills, in both receptive and expressive language, identified students receive Speech, Language and Communication intervention.  Where the Speech and Language Therapy Service (SALT) is involved, they set targets which our HLTA supports students to achieve.  We set our own targets for students who are not under the SALT service.

We support students with interventions in developing spelling strategies and use spelling age assessments to monitor progress.

Read Out 

Twice a week, during our afternoon tutor time, each student reads along with their tutor. Our Read-out strategy sees the tutor reading a book per term, aloud to their tutor group who read along with them. This strategy includes books from a broad literature cannon which balances challenge and engagement to enable learners to become confident and engaged readers. The Read-Out process is a supportive method that enables knowledge and vocabulary to be built over time, to secure confidence and competence in reading and vocabulary. The books have been selected to raise issues that fit in line with discussions that can be matched to our core values. The tutor time programme is developing to include contextual elements to enable cultural capital to build and engagement with challenging moral topics.

Library Lessons – Guided Reading and Book Talk 

Reading Interventions 

Students’ reading comprehension age is assessed prior to or upon entry to school.  Students reading below a functional level to be able to access the KS3 curriculum independently are given specific help to close the gap. Students receive small group reading intervention with TAs and HLTAs. Students’ progress is reviewed termly (approximately every 6 weeks)and students will be moved out of intervention groups as appropriate.  Each term, students who stay on intervention are given a new intervention time to ensure that the same lessons are not affected by interventions.

Reading Homework

All key stage three students read for at least 20 minutes every evening as part of their ‘power hour’ of homework. They read for pleasure, books of their own choosing, and record the details in the reading log within their homework books.