Literacy
Why is literacy so important?
Good literacy skills are essential for student development and life choices. They are the foundations of successful life-long learning.
Who is responsible for developing literacy at Co-op Academy Walkden?
All staff members play a significant role in supporting the literacy of our students. We will promote, support and encourage every student at all stages of their academic career to improve their literacy skills.
This will include academic reading and reading for pleasure. Both Key Stages – three and four – are exposed to a variety of independent reading studies; they are exposed to a range of academic texts while also enhancing their love of reading. . At Co-op Academy Walkden, we have tailored and researched novels according to challenge and pleasure – take a look at our separate Key Stage 3 reading list and Key Stage 4 reading list to give you a broader idea of what we provide here at the academy.
We also encourage our pupils to read around their subject – this allows them to develop their understanding and this inspires them to recognise their own abilities and it pushes them forward to reach their potential.
Students will experience a wide variety of ambitious vocabulary, including explicit teaching of tier 2 and 3 vocabulary. Students will understand how to write accurately for a variety of purposes and audiences; staff will provide effective written and verbal literacy feedback and all students will be encouraged to have structured and academic talk and conversations in lessons.
Literacy provision at Co-op Academy Walkden
- A well-stocked Learning Resource Centre that is an exciting hub of the Academy community, with recommended reading lists and ideas/support for both reluctant and keen readers;
- Word of the Week to enhance the vocabulary of our pupils;
- Form Time Reading once a week of classic and award winning novels;
- The student librarian programme – becoming an ambassador for the library and encouraging pupils to read;
- An outstanding and successful student newspaper: The Walkden Eye;
- Year 7 students have a dedicated reading lesson once a week in English lessons – this is to bring back the element of excitement and enjoyment in reading;
- Guided Reading lessons in Humanities subjects in Key Stage 3;
- Reading Champions in Year 10 run small Year 7 reading groups and have a mini Guided Reading session once a week;
- Specialised reading intervention for struggling readers including: 1:1 sessions with trained teaching assistants using the Catch- Up Literacy Program;
- Alternative English curriculum for students working below the expected standard in Year 7 to boost progress to reach the expected standard for Year 8.
Want to have a go at improving your own literacy?
Top 100 commonly mispelled words
Have a look at this list of the top 100 commonly mispelled Words. Do some of them surprise you? Can you spell all of the words accurately?
Test your spelling skills here with this quiz.
Find out how you can improve your spelling with some top tips here.
Wider reading
Have you looked at our recommended reading list for students in Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 3 ?
Why not write a review to go on our literacy website when you have read it? Email it to comms@walkdenhigh.co.uk and you could see your work published here.
Want some help on how to write a book review? Take a look here.
Need some more information?
Speak to our Literacy Team at the academy:
- Mrs R Joynson – Literacy Lead and English Teacher
- Miss E Kane – English Teacher and Catch-up and Enrichment Lead