Research School Network: Improving Literacy Across the Primary Phase Develop an evidence-rich approach to improve teaching and learning in Literacy in your school

Session 1 – May 13^th1.30pm‑3.30pm: Speaking and Listening Approaches to Support Learners Underpinned by the research which emphasises the importance of speaking and listening across the primary years, the session will explore assessment tools and teaching approaches for each phase. What works well to support young learners to engage in conversation, be active listeners and articulate their learning?

Session 2 – May 20^th1.30pm‑3.30pm: Vocabulary across the Primary Phase – The importance of vocabulary is at the heart of the session as research indicates that a rich vocabulary has a powerful impact on learning. We draw on research insights to support you to implement the explicit teaching of vocabulary throughout school – the tiers framework developed by Isabel Beck et al and cognitive load theory – and explore practical approaches to embed the teaching of vocabulary in daily practice.

Session 3 – Wednesday 16^th June 1.30pm‑3.30pm: Developing Skilled and Motivated Readers with a Spotlight on Phonics in EYFS and KS1 – To begin, we will consider: how can we encourage motivated, enthusiastic readers who are eager to learn to read and to read to learn? Then, we will focus on the ​‘Word Recognition’ strand of Scarborough’s Reading Rope to explore the effective teaching of phonics in the EYFS and KS1.

Session 4 – Wednesday 23^rd June 1.30pm‑3.30pm: Comprehension and Fluency Across the Primary Phase – This session is based on the ​‘Language Comprehension’ strand of Scarborough’s Reading Rope and on the far end of the rope – reading fluency. We will explore approaches to support pupils of all ages to gain meaning from texts, from our youngest learners enjoying shared reading experiences to Year 6 pupils demonstrating their comprehension skills through writing under timed conditions.

Session 5 – Tuesday 29^th June 1.30pm‑3.30pm: Developing Skilled and Motivated Writers with a Spotlight on Composition – Underpinned by cognitive science around working memory, this session explores the complexities of writing for pupils, considering Berninger et al’s Simple View of Writing and the different aspects this encompasses. The composition strand of writing is then further unpicked, zooming in on different aspects which make up the composition of writing such as planning, editing and publishing, and how they can be effectively taught across the school.

Session 6 – Tuesday 6^th July 1.30pm‑3.30pm: Transcription: Spelling, Sentence Construction and feedback – This session explores the complexities of writing with a focus on transcription and the essential skills pupils need in order to be successful writers. Such skills include a focus on spelling and key strategies pupils can utilise in order to develop automaticity and accuracy, how to develop sentence construction effectively and approaches to provide purposeful and timely feedback.