YEAR 8 ENGLISH LANGUAGE COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Outline

Overview

The English Syllabus at GEMS Wesgreen International Primary School aims to support students in becoming confident speakers, secure readers and creative writers who can write for a variety of purposes. We provide students with the opportunities to read and write a variety of texts, whilst building on their speaking and listening, reading and language skills.

Learning Outcomes

The aims of all subjects state what a teacher may expect to teach and what a student may expect to experience and learn. These aims suggest how the student may be changed by the learning experience.

The aims of the English Syllabus are to encourage and enable students to:

• read easily, fluently and with good understanding
• develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information
• acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions for reading, writing and spoken language
• appreciate rich and varied literary heritage
• write clearly, accurately and coherently, adapting their language and style in and for a range of contexts, purposes and audiences
• use discussion in order to learn; they should be able to elaborate and explain clearly their understanding and ideas
• are competent in the arts of speaking and listening, making formal presentations, demonstrating to others and participating in debate

Ongoing Objectives

There are objectives that are covered and built upon throughout each unit of work.

Spoken Language

• To listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers
• To ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge
• To use relevant strategies to build their vocabulary
• To articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions
• To maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations, staying on topic and initiating and responding to comments
• To speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of Standard English.
• To gain, maintain and monitor the interest of the listener(s)
• To give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings.
• To use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas
• To consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on the contributions of others.
• To select and use appropriate registers for effective communication.

Reading

• To continue to apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words until automatic decoding has become embedded and reading is fluent
• To read accurately by blending the sounds in words that contain the graphemes taught so far, especially recognising alternative sounds for graphemes
• To read accurately words of two or more syllables that contain the same graphemes as above
• To read most words quickly and accurately, without overt sounding and blending , when they have been frequently encountered
• To read aloud books closely matched to their improving phonic knowledge, sounding out unfamiliar words accurately, automatically and without undue hesitation
• To reread these books to build up their fluency and confidence in word reading.
• To develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by listening to, discussing and expressing views about a wide range of stories at a level beyond that at which they can read independently.
• To become increasingly familiar with and retelling a wider range of stories, fairy stories and traditional tales.
• To be introduced to non-fiction books that are structured in different ways.
• To read further common exception words, noting unusual correspondences between spelling and sound and where these occur in the word.

Comprehension

• To understand both the books that they can already read accurately and fluently and those that they listen to by:

• drawing on what they already know or on background information and vocabulary provided by the teacher
• checking that the text makes sense to them as they read, and correcting inaccurate reading
• making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done
• answering and asking questions
• predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far

• To participate in discussion about books, poems and other works that are read to them and those that they can read for themselves, taking turns and listening to what others say
• To explain and discuss their understanding of books, poems and other material, both those that they listen to and those that they read for themselves.
• To discuss and clarifying the meanings of words, linking new meanings to known vocabulary
• To discuss their favourite words and phrases 

Spelling

• To segment spoken words into phonemes and representing these by graphemes, spelling many correctly.
• To learn new ways of spelling phonemes for which 1 or more spellings are already known, and learn some words with each spelling, including a few common homophones.
• To write from memory simple sentences dictated by the teacher that include words using the GPCs, common exception words and punctuation taught so far.
• To learn to spell common exception words.

Handwriting and Presentation

• To form lower-case letters of the correct size relative to one another
• To start using some of the diagonal and horizontal strokes needed to join letters and understand which letters, when adjacent to one another, are best left unjoined.
• To write capital letters and digits of the correct size, orientation and relationship to one another and to lower-case letters
• To use spacing between words that reflects the size of the letters.

Composition

• To develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by:

• Writing for different purposes.
• Writing about real events.
• To write narratives about personal experiences and those of others (real and fictional)

• To consider what they are going to write before beginning by:

• planning or saying out loud what they are going to write about
• writing down ideas and/or key words, including new vocabulary
• encapsulating what they want to say, sentence by sentence

• To make simple additions, revisions and corrections to their own writing by:

• evaluating their writing with the teacher and other pupils
• rereading to check that their writing makes sense and that verbs to indicate time are used correctly and consistently, including verbs in the continuous form
• proofreading to check for errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation (for example, ends of sentences punctuated correctly)

• To read aloud what they have written with appropriate intonation to make the meaning clear.

Unit Overviews

Term 1

Unit 1 – Descriptive writing

Approximate length: 3 weeks

In this unit, the student explores how writers build evocative descriptions of imagined places in science-fiction and fantasy novels and short stories.

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• To understand increasingly challenging texts through:

• learning new vocabulary, relating it explicitly to known vocabulary and understanding it with the help of context and dictionaries
• making inferences and referring to evidence in the text
• knowing the purpose, audience for and context of the writing and drawing on this knowledge to support comprehension
• checking their understanding to make sure that what they have read makes sense.

• To read critically through:

• knowing how language, including figurative language, vocabulary choice, grammar, text structure and organisational features, presents meaning
• studying setting, plot, rising action, climax and characterisation, and the effects of these

• To write accurately, fluently, effectively and at length for pleasure and information through:

• Writing for a wide range of purposes and audiences, including:

• well-structured descriptive and narrative essays
• stories and other imaginative writing

• To plan, draft, edit and proof-read through:

• considering how their writing reflects the audiences and purposes for which it was intended
• amending the vocabulary, grammar and structure of their writing to improve its coherence and overall effectiveness
• paying attention to accurate grammar, punctuation and spelling

• To consolidate and build on their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary through:

• studying the effectiveness and impact of the grammatical features of the texts they read
• drawing on new vocabulary and grammatical constructions from their reading and listening, and using these consciously in their writing and speech to achieve particular effects

• To speak confidently and effectively, including through:

• using Standard English confidently in a range of formal and informal contexts, including classroom discussion
• giving short speeches and presentations, expressing their own ideas and keeping to the point

Unit 2 – Narrative Writing

Approximate length: 5 weeks

In this unit, the student develop the skills needed to understand and write narrative texts. It looks at a range of texts loosely linked to the theme of mystery and suspense, and uses them to explore how writers plan and structure stories to keep the reader engaged.

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• To develop an appreciation and love of reading, and read increasingly challenging material independently through:

• Reading a wide range of fiction and non-fiction, including extracts, short stories, with a wide coverage of genres, historical periods, forms and authors.
• Choosing and reading books independently for challenge, interest and enjoyment.

• To understand increasingly challenging texts through:

• making inferences and referring to evidence in the text
• knowing the purpose, audience for and context of the writing and drawing on this knowledge to support comprehension
• Checking their understanding to make sure that what they have read makes sense.

• To write accurately, fluently, effectively and at length for pleasure and information through:

• Writing for a wide range of purposes and audiences, including:

• well-structured formal expository and narrative essays

• stories and other imaginative writing

• applying their growing knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and text structure to their writing and selecting the appropriate form

• drawing on knowledge of literary devices from their reading and listening to enhance the impact of their writing

• To plan, draft, edit and proof-read through:

• considering how their writing reflects the audiences and purposes for which it was intended

• To consolidate and build on their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary through:

• studying the effectiveness and impact of the grammatical features of the texts they read
• drawing on new vocabulary and grammatical constructions from their reading and listening, and using these consciously in their writing and speech to achieve particular effects

• To speak confidently and effectively, including through:

• giving short speeches and presentations, expressing their own ideas and keeping to the point

Unit 3 – Writing to explore and reflect

Approximate length: 3 weeks

In this first unit of Year 7, the student will explore how people reflect and think about experiences they have had, or events they have witnessed, places they have been or people they have met.

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• To write accurately, fluently, effectively and at length for pleasure and information:

• applying their growing knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and text structure to their writing and selecting the appropriate form

• To consolidate and build on their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary through:

• drawing on new vocabulary and grammatical constructions from their reading and listening, and using these consciously in their writing and speech to achieve particular effects
• knowing and understanding the differences between spoken and written language, including differences associated with formal and informal registers, and between Standard English and other varieties of English
• using Standard English confidently in their own writing and speech

• To speak confidently and effectively, including through:

• giving short speeches and presentations, expressing their own ideas and keeping to the point

Term 2

Programme of Study

Term 3

Unit 7 – Assessing your progress

Approximate length: 3 weeks

In this unit, the students will have a chance to practice some of the skills that they have been introduced to in this book by answering some exam styles questions. This will enable them to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their answers b looking at sample answers and comments from teachers, before they move on to the next stage of the course.

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• To understand increasingly challenging texts through:

• checking their understanding to make sure that what they have read makes sense.

• To read critically through:

• knowing how language, including figurative language, vocabulary choice, grammar, text structure and organisational features, presents meaning
• making critical comparisons across texts

• studying a range of authors
• To write accurately, fluently, effectively and at length for pleasure and information through:

• Writing for a wide range of purposes and audiences, including:

• well-structured formal expository and narrative essays
• stories, extracts and other imaginative writing
• notes and polished scripts for talks and presentations

• a range of other narrative and non-narrative texts, including arguments, and To consolidate and build on their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary through:
• To speak confidently and effectively, including through:

• using Standard English confidently in a range of formal and informal contexts, including classroom discussion improvising, rehearsing and performing play scripts and poetry in order to generate language and discuss language use and meaning, using role, intonation, tone, volume, mood, silence, stillness and action to add impact.
• improvising, rehearsing and performing play scripts and poetry in order to generate language and discuss language use and meaning, using role, intonation, tone, volume, mood, silence, stillness and action to add impact.

Assessment

Baseline Test: At the beginning of the academic year, the students write an internal and standardized baseline test, which is used to measure progress.

Formative: Throughout the units, the children will complete graded work, quizzes and speaking and listening activities, which allows the teacher to assess the students’ attainment and inform their planning.

For each unit the students complete a pre and post write of the text type. This allows us to see progress across the units.

Summative: At the end of each term, we complete internal and standardized tests. This allows us to measure the students’ progress throughout the term and year. At the end of the academic year, the students complete the standardized GL and NGRT assessment.

Action for blended learning

Here at Wesgreen we are using multiple teaching methods in order to help our students learn more effectively and creatively. This will include a combination of traditional classroom instruction and digital learning, such as:

• Bluetooth microphones to enable remote students to hear more clearly during lessons.
• The use of different types of instructional materials, such as videos.
• Incorporating different means of technology (Phoenix Classroom).
• Varied online assessment methods (Microsoft forms, Kahoot, One Note).