Literacy

Literacy at Manor School

At Manor School, literacy is at the heart of enabling our pupils to communicate, learn, and thrive. We adopt a holistic approach that supports reading, writing, speaking, and listening at all levels of ability.

Reading for Enjoyment and Meaning

We aim to inspire a love of reading by using high-quality, engaging texts. Through creative approaches like drama and visual storytelling, pupils explore books that foster a joy for reading while building vocabulary and comprehension. Our multi-sensory approaches cater to pupils requiring alternative formats, making reading accessible and enjoyable for all. We use the Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme to teach our children to decode text. This ensures structured, high-quality phonics teaching, enabling pupils to progress from decoding words to fluent reading when they are ready. Once pupils master phonics, we emphasise comprehension and inference skills to deepen their understanding of texts.

Writing with ABC Boom!

Writing begins with mark-making and pre-writing strokes using the multi-sensory ABC Boom! approach. Pupils build motor skills and confidence through fun, engaging activities that prepare them for structured writing. As their skills grow, they explore varied opportunities for purposeful writing, supported by the Power of Reading approach and opportunities to write for a purpose.

Speaking and Listening

We adopt a 'Total Communication' approach, creating communication-friendly environments enriched by real-life objects, photos, symbols, and Makaton signing. Pupils use a variety of tools depending on their individual needs, including AAC systems, to express themselves and engage with others. Collaborative work with our Speech and Language Therapy Team ensures individualised communication goals are embedded throughout the day.

By integrating these elements, our literacy programme empowers pupils to become confident, independent communicators and learners.