English

What do we teach in English?

The British School of Chicago teaches the National Curriculum (England) to all students in Key Stages 1-4, incorporating the Primary Framework in Key Stages 1 and 2.

How do we teach English? 

In Key Stages 1 and 2 the important skills of reading, writing and speaking and listening are united in on hour of focused Literacy teaching per day.  The Literacy Hour is comprised of whole class teaching, group and independent work.  Teaching is structured in three closely interrelated strands of work: word level, sentence level and text level.  Word level work concentrates on phonics, spelling, word recognition, vocabulary extension and handwriting.  Sentence level work focuses on grammatical awareness, sentence construction and punctuation.  Text level work develops reading, comprehension and writing composition skills, using both fiction and non-fiction texts.  The teaching of reading and writing is closely linked throughout, by using the texts pupils are reading to provide structure for their writing.  The Literacy Hour, wherever possible, is linked to the other curriculum areas.  The skills learnt, particularly those that focus on reading and writing non-fiction texts are applied in other subjects.  These approaches are replicated in Key Stages 3 and 4.

Learning English is a developmental process. The children are taught at their own individual level, using methods suited to their abilities. Their abilities and achievements are valued and celebrated at every stage, for example through marking, target setting, sharing work with peers, making books and displaying finished work.

Speaking and Listening

We believe that children should be encouraged to express themselves confidently and clearly. They need to learn to listen carefully to what others have to say. In Key Stage One they use language to explore their own experiences and imaginative worlds, expressing their ideas and feelings when working in role and in drama activities. As they progress through the school to Key Stage 2,3 and 4 they are given opportunities to talk for a range of purposes: sharing ideas and opinions, planning and investigating, reporting and describing events, reading aloud, enacting stories and poems. They are given many chances to communicate with different audiences, reflect and respond to others.

Reading

All students at the British School of Chicago are encouraged to develop as enthusiastic, independent and reflective readers. They are introduced to a wide range of literature. In Key Stage 1 children are encouraged to read on their own, with others and to the teacher and develop a love of books. They will study particular authors and learn about their work. They focus on words and sentences and how they fit into whole texts. As they progress into Key Stage 2, 3 and 4, children have opportunities to read extensively for information and for their own interest and pleasure. Their reading is extended through the use of more challenging and demanding texts, and they are taught how to analyse these texts critically. They are taught strategies for word recognition and progressively more sophisticated research skills.

Writing

We maintain a close link between the children's reading and writing experiences. Children are made aware of the value of writing as a means of communicating and developing ideas, and as a source of enjoyment. In Key Stage 1, children will be given opportunities to write in response to a variety of stimuli including stories, poems, and personal experiences. They start to appreciate writing and write independently in narrative and non-fiction texts. They learn to organise and present their writing as well as to learn to spell and punctuate correctly. As they progress into Key Stage 2, 3 and 4, children are provided with a wider range of stimuli that include stories, plays and poems, together with other sources of information from their own interests.

They learn the main rules and conventions of written English and explore how the English Language can be used to express meaning in different ways. The children are taught correct grammatical structure and punctuation while improving their work through planning, drafting and editing.

Spelling

As seen from our website the British School of Chicago follows "English" spelling rather than "American" spelling. However, American students do not have their "American" spelling marked as incorrect.