Grange Post Primary School
2015-2016

Whole-School Literacy Policy
The Literacy Team

Rationale
Literacy is everyone’s responsibility
In Grange Post Primary School Whole-School Literacy is seen as an essential part of the teaching and learning process. We recognise the importance of literacy in the school environment, to life within wider society and to the personal growth of individuals. We are committed to the development of a whole-school approach to literacy and recognise the need for a multi-stranded approach. We are committed to using a whole-school approach to literacy to improve learning and raise standards.

Aims
1. To ensure subject specific literacy is taught in all subject areas, including subject specific vocabulary and to recognise the reading and writing demands of specific subjects.

2. To develop cross curricular links with literacy which can be supported by all subject teachers. These will include whole-school spelling and marking approaches, whole-school use of homework policy, widening the range of texts available and literacy specific targets.

3. To promote whole-school literacy by involving a cross section of subject teachers in the literacy team and maintaining a positive ethos, creating a high public profile e.g. creating a print rich environment using displays, literacy award schemes and paired reading. To have a literacy notice board in school, to promote and motivate students to improve their literacy skills. To have a regular slot for literacy at staff meetings.

4. To develop the specific teaching of literacy within English and related departments e.g. SEN department. 

5. To promote continued parental involvement and support of their child’s literacy development.

6. To link literacy to the transition programme from primary to secondary school.

7. To devote time to in-service training in the area of literacy.

School Wide Strategies

Keywords
•	Check texts and identify essential words.
•	Make a list, keeping it as short as possible.
•	Pre-teach keywords
•	Revise and reinforce keywords.

Key concepts/terms
•	Identify key concepts.
•	List key concepts.
•	Discuss and explain each one.

Key spellings
•	Carefully choose a small number of key spellings you want all students to know.
•	Select a small number of keywords per topic.
•	Pre teach these words - meanings, context and usage.
•	Have students write a keyword list in a keyword copy or the back of copies or give them a typed list.
•	Display keywords lists on walls.
•	Use them regularly and read them frequently.
•	Give students the opportunity to discuss, use and revise them.
•	Check comprehension and spelling regularly.
•	Revise and reinforce keywords often.

Spelling
All classrooms should have a spelling poster and students should be encouraged to use this strategy to improve their spellings 
Spelling strategy: Look - Say - Cover - Write - Check, to be used by all subject teachers.
Look
At the correct spelling of the word.
Try to memorise the spelling and shape of the word.
Say
The word out loud as it is being learned.
Cover
The word and try to visualise it.
Write
The word without looking at the correct version.
Check
The correct version against your own.

Identify areas where mistakes occurred. Repeat the process if necessary.

Recommendations
1.	Repetition and reinforcement of keywords.
2.	Marking of pupils work and correction of spelling.
3.	Display key words and students work in the classroom.
4.	Set spellings as homework tasks.
5.	Students should be encouraged to correct their own spellings using a  
          dictionary or keyword list.
Correction of Students Work
•	The correction of a students work should be clear and focused on how the student can make improvements.
•	Corrections are opportunities for feedback. They should be constructive and informative. Make positive and constructive comments.
•	If students are poor spellers correct only keywords or limit the correction of the word to the first paragraph.

Presentation
•	Page should be ruled with red pen along the top line of the page.
•	Date should be written at the top right hand side of every exercise.
•	The title of the work should be written at the top of the page at the beginning of each exercise.
•	Students should be encouraged to keep their copies neat and tidy and the condition of their copies should be regularly checked.

Reading
•	Time for reading should be given in all subject areas.
•	Teachers should model reading behaviour (e.g. If students are asked to read, teacher should read also). 
•	Reading should be given for homework and questions could be asked to discover what students have learned from reading rather than asking them to read aloud. (Oral work). Additionally students with specific literacy difficulties should be given prior warning if and when they have to read aloud in class, they should be told the previous day in order to prepare and practice the reading.
•	If teachers read aloud to students. Students should be encouraged to follow on written text.
Writing
Written work should be differentiated according to student’s level of ability. Cloze procedure (fill in the missing word) is a good way of using differentiation in the classroom and can be used by students of all abilities. Another useful tool for differentiating, structuring and scaffolding writing is to use writing frames/graphic organisers and mind maps.
We recommend that teachers should try to project text onto the board using Word, as opposed to hand writing, as this is much easier read (especially for those with dyslexia). 
Comic Sans MS has also been proven to be the most legible text option for presentations and notes

Homework
Students should be given homework in accordance to the homework policy.
When instructing students about homework teachers should:
•	Write homework on the black/white board at beginning of class.
•	Reinforce verbally.
•	Consider those students with special needs by ensuring they understand the homework which is to be completed and differentiate tasks according to student’s ability.
•	Ensure all students have homework written correctly into their homework journals.

Digital Literacy
Students are encouraged to develop digital literacy skills through use of camera, ipods, laptops and computers and to use these skills when presenting project work across a range of subjects
Literacy Notice Board
A literacy notice board has been established in the school and is updated regularly. it has information on Library, book club, reading initiatives and a puzzle of the week. Any literacy related news and photos will also be loaded to Grange Post Primary Schools face book page. 

Literacy Initiatives
Each year a literacy initiative will be introduced with all first year students because
literacy is seen as an essential part of the teaching and learning process e.g. DEAR (Drop Everything and Read), Reading 5 books in 5 weeks, Who wants to be a reading Millionaire. We recognise the importance of literacy in the school environment, to life within wider society and to the personal growth of individuals. So students are encouraged to borrow books from the library on a regular basis. Students are also encouraged to join the book club.
In second year a writing initiative will commence in 2015/16

This policy was first formulated in March 2010

Most recent review September 2015 by The literacy team

Next review in September 2016