Literacy at Townsend
At Townsend, literacy (reading, writing, speaking and listening) is embedded in our curriculum.
We believe at Townsend that these skills are integral to creating a well-rounded individual who has the best opportunities in life after they leave us. We have a 3-Tier approach to literacy at Townsend.
Our approach to literacy is designed so that ALL students at Townsend benefit from some level of support with literacy skills. We also aim to develop a positive and passionate reading culture at Townsend so opportunities are available for all students.
We want to identify the barriers to reading and remove these barriers so all our students can thrive and have full access to all their learning and we wish to build a vocabulary rich cultural capital so that our students can communicate effectively, with confidence and with pride.
Our 3-tier literacy approach includes
- Intervention for readers below expected reading age or with reading difficulties (Phonics, Reading Fluency, personalised blended literacy intervention)
- Literacy in Lessons (reading, oracy and writing to develop disciplinary literacy)
- Whole school reading (DEAR) and initiatives to boost reading for pleasure
For students to flourish in their learning and wider life skills, it is important that they read for pleasure, this improves vocabulary and develops a child’s ability to articulate their thoughts and views and communicate in writing. Our library is stocked with many wonderful books, in many genres, for all ages. We encourage our students to visit the library to borrow these books and we are always open to any requests the students may have. We also have our fabulous book vending machine, stocked with beautiful, brand new books. These are awarded as gifts to students for all sorts of achievements in school, so they should work hard and contribute to the school community to get a gold token for the book machine.
We would be so grateful for any contributions of new books to the vending machine – we have a wish list with Books on the Hill in St Albans, where parents can purchase and donate new books for our vending machine. Click on the link below and enter our password “Townsend”: Books on the Hill