While the daily literacy hour has improved literacy teaching for
most pupils, some still need extra support to stop them from falling
behind. The National Literacy Strategy has addressed this with the
introduction of separate programmes to target support to pupils
at key stages in the primary school:
There are many similarities between the three programmes, for example
the importance of the relationship between the teacher and teaching
assistant. The aim at each stage is to bring pupils up to the expected
level and remove the need for further intervention.
For more information visit www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/literacy
Early Literacy Support (ELS) is designed to identify and support
those pupils who are not making the expected progress during the
first term of primary school. The aim is to reduce or remove the
need for further additional support in the future. A key element
of the programme is the partnership between teachers and teaching
assistants.
How does the programme work?
ELS is made up of 60 sessions, each lasting around 20 minutes, which
revisit at a brisk pace key NLS objectives in the Framework for
Teaching from Reception, Year 1 - term 1 and Year 1 - term 2. They
are designed to take place in addition to the daily literacy hour.
During the first term of Year 1 (age 5-6), teachers identify pupils
who are struggling to keep up and make the expected progress to
take part in the programme. Then, before the programme begins properly
in term 2, two or three 'Getting to know you' sessions are run in
order to help teaching assistants familiarise themselves with the
pupils chosen to take part and introduce activities and ways of
working that will be used during the programme.
The use of a puppet helps to engage the children and develop their
speaking and listening skills. The ELS sessions all follow the same
format:
Oral opener - opening each session by using the puppet to
ask the children what they learned yesterday and telling them what
they will learn today
Phonics five - playing a game to help pupils learn sounds
and letters
Text ten - either reading, writing and learning how to spell
words together
Fast finisher - quick, final activity reminding pupils what
they have learned and how it will be followed up in the literacy
hour and at home.
ALS is designed to help pupils in Year 3 (start of Key Stage 2,
age 7-8) who have already fallen behind in literacy, but who would
not otherwise receive any additional support in this area. It will
also benefit children with severe special education needs who already
receive some additional support, children who speak English as an
additional language (particularly those who have just arrived in
the country) and traveller children with.
How does the programme work?
Each of the four modules includes a practical, high quality teaching
programme, to be delivered by teachers and classroom assistants,
working in partnership. The modules cover phonics, reading (guided
and supported) and writing (shared and supported).
Module 1 - phonics and reading
Modules 2-4 - phonics, reading and writing
Together, these modules aim to consolidate key stage 1 work, particularly
phonics, while bringing them up to the expected level for their
age. The programme is designed to be delivered to groups of five
pupils over 24 weeks, during the group work session of the literacy
hour.
Further Literacy Support (FLS) is designed to support pupils who
have fallen behind at the end of the first term of Year 5 (age 9-10)
with a term of targeted support. The programme was developed and
piloted in 30 local education authorities during during 2001-2 and
during July 2002 one teaching assistant and one teacher in every
primary school in England received training on how to deliver the
programme. £20 million has been made available by the Department
for Education and Skills for the programme which will help up to
150,000 pupils a year.
How does the programme work?
In the first term of Year 5 all pupils are taught through the literacy
hour. Towards the end of the term, the teacher and teaching assistant
identify those needing more intensive support who will join the
FLS programme at the start of the second term and receive extra
lessons with special independent tasks and homework. By the third
term the number requiring individual support should have fallen,
although continuing support will be available for those still requiring
it.
The programme relies heavily on the role of teaching assistants
in delivering the extra modules. FLS has three modules, usually
two based on non-fiction and one on fiction, each lasting around
four weeks. For example, pupils reading and writing might be improved
through studying magazine advertisements and then produce their
own, focusing on how adverbs and adjectives an describe and exaggerate.
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