English

Reading

Reading regularly is vital in Year 6 as it helps the children broaden their vocabulary, and enables them to make better progress in every curriculum area. It also helps them to become better writers as they begin to understand how different techniques can be used to interest the reader.

Reading has an enormous impact on children’s learning. For this reason, we have a huge focus on the teaching of reading. We use whole class reading sessions to improve children's understanding of reading skills using the VIPERS skills.

Fostering a love of books and reading is of great importance. If children enjoy what they are doing, they will learn more effectively. A love of reading leads to better life chances. 

During whole class reading sessions, children investigate new and unfamiliar vocabulary, learn how to understand what questions are actually asking and how to best answer them. We also work on reading speed and accuracy.

Autumn 1

Year 6 children are studying novels based on the Titanic and using the short animation of The Piano to inspire their own flashback writing.

The Piano

The Piano is a flashback narrative based on short animation by Aidan Gibbons.

Studying the film and the themes that run through the short clip, generates some fantastic speaking and listening opportunities as well as some amazing writing.

The children got a chance to listen to the music to see how it made them feel. They linked it to the past and remembered what happened. Then they listened to the music with the lonely man to begIN to understand his feelings and memories.

Below is an extract taken from the story to help children understand the old man's feeling and emotions:

The Piano: a narrative based on the animation by Aidan Gibbons. 
Precious memories flood my heart and pulse through my veins as I sit down to 
play my beloved grand piano. The very thought of the music I’m about to play 
invokes a river of nostalgia - the room seems to echo with my life’s most vivid 
moments. Erupting within me, I encounter tangible visions amid the melodies. 
Firstly, her ghost resonates in the corner of my eye as my fingers glide over the 
keys. She’s here with me - in a spiritual duet - I know it! Countless moments 
shared while alive means I can’t mistake her presence now, or the mellow 
feelings of serene peace she brings me.  
As my tender wife fades and the warm tunes come back into sharp focus, a 
new, almost opposite vision consumes me.  
Putrid smoke fills the air, a burst of rapid-fire surrounds us, sirens wail and low
flying planes swoop in to drop their hot destruction. We hide behind a still
standing wall and await our fate.  
The next moment feels like it’s happening all over again: bravely, my war time 
comrade moves into the open, ‘crack,’ a single crystal-clear shot rings out. He’s 
hit; he’s down - never to awake! Cradling him in my arms leads me to the 
awareness of my fingers – they continue to express the sounds of my haunted 
soul. 

Please ckick on the green title below to watch the short clip.

The Piano

With the help of the child, Mrs Hornby was able to write the following paragraph :

Whilst thoughts rushed swiftly through his mind, the lonesome man tapped his fingers gently on each key. Soothingly, the music reminded him of his past memories however unfortunately the music only made him remember the sombre, sad and depressing memories. Sorrow ran through him.

Then using pictures from the clip, children worked with their partner, to place them on a soundwave map to help understand the lonely mans feelings and emotions.

They then looked at the vocabulary that was relevent to the story. Working in pairs they place word on the zone of relevance that helped them write they version.

The children have been studying letters written by soldiers during the war. They have explored the thoughts, feelings and experiences conveyed through the letters and have considered how soldiers communicated with their families while away from home. The children have identified features of letter writing, including first-person voice, informal language, emotive vocabulary and descriptive detail, and have used these features to develop their own writing inspired by the historical sources.

The children began reading a story that took place in The Titanic called I Was There...

This  is a perfect introduction for younger readers into stories from the past, allowing children to imagine that they were really there. I Was There... Titanic is the story of a young girl travelling 3rd class on board the RMS Titanic with her mother as they plan to start a new life in America. When disaster strikes, will Jessie make it to the lifeboats in time?

 This is a story about a young girl called Daisy, who travels on the Titanic with her mother.

Jessie and her mother are travelling in third class on the Titanic because they are hoping to start a new life in America. At first, Jessie is excited to be on the huge and impressive ship. She experiences life on board and meets other passengers.

However, during the journey, the Titanic hits an iceberg and begins to sink. Jessie and her mother realise they are in serious danger and try to reach the lifeboats. Because they are travelling in third class, getting to safety is difficult.

The story follows Daisy's fear, bravery and determination as she tries to survive the disaster and stay with her mother. It gives the reader a child's view of one of the most famous events in history.

⭐ Daisy

• Bravery – Jessie has to be courageous during a frightening situation.
• Family – Jessie and her mother depend on and support each other.
• Friendship – Jessie forms connections with people during the journey.
• Hope – Her family is hoping for a better life in America.
• Survival – Jessie must find a way to reach safety when the Titanic sinks.

Reading chapters 1 and 2, they began to analyse the text to compare characters and make further prediction.

Below are some pictures the children used to help write their flashbacks.

A character description is useful in a story because it helps the reader understand who the character is and imagine them clearly.

It can include:

• Appearance – what the character looks like.
• Personality – whether they are kind, brave, shy, funny, etc.
• Feelings – what they think or how they react to situations.
• Strengths and weaknesses – what they are good at and what they struggle with.
• Background – important information about their life.
• Goals – what they want to achieve in the story.

For example, instead of just saying “Sam was scared,” a description might tell us that Sam is usually confident but becomes nervous when facing something unfamiliar. This makes the character feel more real and interesting.

In short: character descriptions help readers understand, imagine, and connect with the characters.

The children have been looking at at ways to be more creative with their writing.

Below is a poster identifying D . A . D.

• D — Dialogue: what characters say
• A — Action: what characters do
• D — Description: details about people, places, settings, or events

It’s often used as a simple way to help structure creative writing and make a scene more interesting.

See the example below: