Reading and Literacy
Literacy in our Curriculum
L Sams (Literacy Leader across the Academy)
Email: [email protected]
Literacy is a fundamental skill, not only in learning but in an individual’s career and in life in general. Lacking vital literacy skills holds a person back at every stage of their life, therefore it is vital that all students at Ormiston Rivers Academy are equipped with what they need to communicate successfully in any situation they might encounter. Students will be given the opportunity to read a range of ambitious fiction and non- fiction texts from a diverse range of authors that help to inspire them. Furthermore, students will be given opportunities to express themselves through various forms of writing, including creative writing and poetry. Students at Ormiston Rivers Academy will be given the tools they need to become confident readers, writers and speakers that perform with accuracy and creativity.
Our aim is for students at Ormiston Rivers Academy to receive consistent, effective, and frequent teaching and learning of literacy that has a positive impact on their learning. This is through the embedding of literacy throughout the curriculum.
Word of The Week:
Every week a whole school WOTW will be introduced to students in mentor sessions and across lessons. Students are invited to engage in the Word of the Week through the weekly opportunity for merits. Engaging with each word of the week will support students to build their knowledge and understanding of ambitious vocabulary.
Read Aloud:
Reading allows us to travel to times and places we could never visit otherwise and better yet, reading has huge benefits both culturally and academically. This is why we have two form times a week dedicated to reading aloud.
The books that students read link to the academy’s AIRR values, and explore a wide range of topics and cultures, widening student’s horizons and cultural awareness.
Titles are as follows:
| Autumn Term | Spring Term | Summer Term | |
| Year 7 | The Foreshadowing – Marcus Sedgewick | The Woman In Black – Susan Hill | Norse Mythology |
| Year 8 | Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury | I am Malala – Malala Yousefzai | A Monster Calls – Patrick Ness |
| Year 9 | Noughts and Crosses – Malorie Blackman | The Tattooist of Auschwitz – Heather Morris | Northern Lights – Phillip Pullman |
| Year 10 | To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee | Pigeon English – Stephen Kelman | I Know Where the Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou |
Lexonik Advance
Reading Intervention is targeted at students who have a reading age twelve months or more below their chronological age according to NGRT results. Each of these students will take a WRAT5 reading test to cross reference their reading ability and ensure suitability of Lexonik Advance.
Lexonik Advance is an intensive 6-week programme that trains students to decode words quickly and effortlessly. It teaches them the complexities of the English language allowing them to develop a deeper understanding of the subjects they are being taught.
This programme is delivered in a one-hour lesson once a week for six weeks, with a maximum of 4 students per lesson per tutor in the Learning Resource Centre.
This fast-paced course is aimed at students who have real potential to improve their reading skills with specifically targeted instruction, fun activities and exercises. It is delivered at an age-appropriate level to enhance comprehension, confidence, fluency, decoding and word mastery.
A second WRAT5 test is taken at the end of the programme to measure progress. Students complete a questionnaire evaluating their experience of the course and confidence in reading and spelling challenging words.
Students who graduate Lexonik Advance but are at risk of falling behind with their reading benefit from our Reading Buddy programme. This consists of one thirty-minute session per week supporting each student in developing their reading ability and engagement.
