Vocabulary and Context
This term, we have revised our whole-school reading sequence including a weekly focus on vocabulary. By children ‘putting themselves in the story' and connecting unknown words to personal experiences, the pupils build a more meaningful understanding. In the lower years, strategies are taught one at a time and then further up the school, children draw apron a range of strategies to decode meaning.
Organically Grown Vocabularies - EYFS
We have been learning about planting and growing in the Spring term. Children have been introduced to new growing vocabulary through our core books and looking for signs of spring in the nature area. This child has written sentences to recount the main events from one of our core books, ‘Sam Plants a Sunflower’ and has used new vocabulary such as ‘dig, seeds, soil, rain’.
S - Tier Vocabulary - KS1
Vocabulary has been a key focus in Year 2 this term after the reading staff meeting. They are focusing on tier two words which are words they might usually see written rather than everyday words which are tier 1. After choosing a high quality text, in this case a picture book, the teachers identify key vocabulary to teach and the children act out the word, think about it in different contexts and then are asked questions to help them to relate to the word in a context that they understand.
Read Together, Understand Better - LKS2
In reading, Year 4 have been focusing on vocabulary in context. Three words are chosen from a high quality text to be explore in depth during the lesson. The children have been developing the skill of choral reading (reading together) to help them unpick the meaning of the word. Children are encouraged to look for ‘context clues’ and use their understanding of verbs and nouns to help them understand the word in context. Choral reading has helped them develop their confidence and efficiency in understanding new words.
Lexical Deep Digging - UKS2
In reading, the Year 6 focus is on vocabulary - in particular using different strategies to decode the meaning of words in context. Some of the strategies we looked at were using the root word, looking for synonyms, or looking for a but/however and finding antonyms. Teachers model the strategies in the their teaching and then children are given time to do this independently with different tier two words. The impact is that children are more confident at unpicking the meaning of unknown words and able to give meanings more confidently.
