Written Language - Reading
Conceptual understandings:
- Reading and thinking work together to enable us to make meaning.
- Checking, rereading and correcting our own reading as we go enable us to read new and more complex texts.
- Identifying the main ideas in the text helps us to understand what is important.
- Knowing what we aim to achieve helps us to select useful reference material to conduct research.
Learning Outcomes:
Related Ziptales Materials:
Learners:
- read a variety of books for pleasure, instruction and information; reflect regularly on reading and set future goals
- distinguish between fiction and non-fiction and select books appropriate to specific purposes
- understand and respond to the ideas, feelings and attitudes expressed in various texts, showing empathy for characters
- recognize the author’s purpose, for example, to inform, entertain, persuade, instruct
- understand that stories have a plot; identify the main idea; discuss and outline the sequence of events leading to the final outcome
- appreciate that writers plan and structure their stories to achieve particular effects; identify features that can be replicated when planning their own stories
- use reference books, dictionaries, and computer and web-based applications with increasing independence and responsibility
- know how to skim and scan texts to decide whether they will be useful, before attempting to read in detail
- as part of the inquiry process, work cooperatively with others to access, read, interpret, and evaluate a range of source materials
- identify relevant, reliable and useful information and decide on appropriate ways to use it
- access information from a variety of texts both in print and online, for example, newspapers, magazines, journals, comics, graphic books, e-books, blogs, wikis
Use the following worksheets provide an opportunity for learners to access information from the online graphic books Graphic Classics: The Happy Prince (2), Beauty and the Beast (3) and Aladdin (1 & 4).
- know when and how to use the internet and multimedia resources for research
- understand that the internet must be used with the approval and supervision of a parent or teacher; read, understand and sign the school’s cyber-safety policy.
Follow the guidelines according to the school’s cyber-safe policy to access internet resources to complete worksheets for Graphic Classics Beauty and the Beast (4) and King Arthur (1) and True Tales stories Titanic (4) No Second Chances (2), Snake (3) and Blast Off (1).
Written Language - Writing
Conceptual understandings
- Writing and thinking work together to enable us to express ideas and convey meaning.
- Asking questions of ourselves and others helps to make our writing more focused and purposeful.
- The way we structure and organize our writing helps others to understand and appreciate it.
- Rereading and editing our own writing enables us to express what we want to say more clearly.
Learning Outcomes:
Related Ziptales Materials:
Learners:
- write independently and with confidence, demonstrating a personal voice as a writer
- write for a range of purposes, both creative and informative, using different types of structures and styles according to the purpose of the writing
- show awareness of different audiences and adapt writing appropriately
- select vocabulary and supporting details to achieve desired effects
- organize ideas in a logical sequence
- reread, edit and revise to improve their own writing, for example, content, language, organization
- respond to the writing of others sensitively
- use appropriate punctuation to support meaning
- use knowledge of written code patterns to accurately spell high-frequency and familiar words
View the Spelling modules in Skill Builders and complete associated worksheets to build knowledge of written code patterns.
- use a range of strategies to record words/ideas of increasing complexity
- realize that writers ask questions of themselves and identify ways to improve their writing, for example, “Is this what I meant to say?”, “Is it interesting/relevant?”
- check punctuation, variety of sentence starters, spelling, presentation
- use a dictionary and thesaurus to check accuracy, broaden vocabulary and enrich their writing
- work cooperatively with a partner to discuss and improve each other’s work, taking the roles of authors and editors
- work independently, to produce written work that is legible and well-presented, written either by hand or in digital format.
Oral Language - Listening and Speaking
Conceptual understandings
- Taking time to reflect on what we hear and say helps us to make informed judgments and form new opinions.
- Thinking about the perspective of our audience helps us to communicate more effectively and appropriately.
- The grammatical structures of a language enable members of a language community to communicate with each other.
Learning Outcomes:
Related Ziptales Materials:
Learners:
- listen appreciatively and responsively, presenting their own point of view and respecting the views of others
- listen for a specific purpose in a variety of situations
Use the verbal instructions in Make and Do to create a variety of objects.
- identify and expand on main ideas in familiar oral texts
Listen to the familiar oral texts in Fairy Tales and work in pairs or small group to identify the main ideas from the stories.
- listen reflectively to stories read aloud in order to identify story structures and ideas
View stories from the same genre (e.g. Mystery or Fantasy) to identify similarities in the story structures and ideas within the narrative.
- understand that ideas and opinions can be generated, developed and presented through talk; they work in pairs and groups to develop oral presentations
- argue persuasively and defend a point of view
- explain and discuss their own writing with peers and adults
- begin to paraphrase and summarize
- organize thoughts and feelings before speaking
- use a range of specific vocabulary in different situations, indicating an awareness that language is influenced by purpose, audience and context
- realise that grammatical structures can be irregular and begin to use them appropriately and consistently
Use the Nouns and Adjectives modules in the Grammar section of Skill Builders to explore irregular nouns and adjectives.
- use oral language appropriately, confidently and with increasing accuracy
Learners refine their oral language skills by completing selected Extending Literacy Reading Library worksheets in pairs or small group.
- verbalize their thinking and explain their reasoning
Work in pairs to read the Choose Your Own Adventure stories to provide learners with an opportunity to explain their reasoning when making choices throughout the story.
- recognize that different forms of grammar are used in different contexts
- appreciate that language is not always used literally; understand and use the figurative language of their own culture.
Visual Language - Viewing and Presenting
Conceptual understandings
- Visual texts have the power to influence thinking and behaviour.
- Interpreting visual texts involves making an informed judgment about the intention of the message.
- To enhance learning we need to be efficient and constructive users of the internet.
Learning Outcomes:
Related Ziptales Materials:
Learners:
- view, respond to and describe visual information, communicating understanding in oral, written and visual form
- describe personal reactions to visual messages; reflect on why others may perceive the images differently
- understand and explain how visual effects can be used to reflect a particular context
- recognize and name familiar visual texts and explain why they are or are not effective, for example, advertising, logos, labels, signs, billboards
Explore the layout of the Ziptales website and discuss the effectiveness of the visual texts familiar to the learners.
- interpret visual cues in order to analyse and makeinferences about the intention of the message
- explain how relevant personal experiences can add to the meaning of a selected film/movie; write and illustrate a personal response
- identify aspects of body language in a dramatic
presentation and explain how they are used to convey the mood and personal traits of characters
- design posters and charts, using shapes, colours, symbols, layout and fonts, to achieve particular effects; explain how the desired effect is achieved
Use the following worksheets to inspire poster design activities: The Magic Arrow (3) - Fairy Tales and Snake! (3) -True Tales.
- discuss a newspaper report and tell how the words and pictures work together to convey a particular message
Discuss newspaper reports then use the following worksheets to show understanding of word/picture connection: The Pirates’ Cave (3) - Adventure; Boris, Bonnie and Greedy (3) - Animal & The Great Houdini (2) - True Tales.
- prepare, individually or in collaboration, visual
presentations using a range of media, including computer and web-based applications
Use the following worksheets to inspire visual presentations: The Pied Piper (2) - Myths & Legends, Dr Wow (2) and Dr Wow in Atlantis (2) – Adventure.
- discuss and explain visual images and effects using appropriate terminology, for example, image, symbol, graphics, balance, techniques, composition
- experience a range of different visual language formats; appreciate and describe why particular formats are selected to achieve particular effects
Compare how the features of same story The Three Billy Goats Gruff in Storytime and Fairy Tales have been used to achieve particular effects e.g. the troll’s appearance is much scarier in the version for older children.
- observe and discuss the choice and composition of visual presentations and explain how they contribute to meaning and impact, for example, facial expressions, speech bubbles, word images to convey sound effects
- realize that visual presentations have been created to reach out to a particular audience and influence the audience in some way; discuss the effects used and how they might influence the audience.
Discuss how the Ziptales visual presentations have been created to appeal to a particular audience and influence them with a ‘moral’ to the story e.g. Puppet Plays for younger children & Graphic Classics for older children.
