Overview of 3 year plan for Literacy

Targets

  • To improve oral language development throughout the school. Drumcondra Oral Language Profiles to be administered to tracker group
  • To develop a whole school approach to teaching of writing genres
  • To enable the pupils from 2 – 6 classes to increase their skills in self- assessment and collaborative learning
  • To develop a whole school approach to teaching comprehension strategies through extensive work on the components of reading to increase our Micra T scores by moving 1% of pupils from the 90-109 band to the 110-119 band each year for the next 3 years.
  • Our target is to have 47% of pupils in the 90-109 band and 30% in the 110-119 band by June 2016
  • To increase exposure to digital media in senior classes

Baseline data/evidence

Analysis of Micra T Results show that most children are performing at or above the national norm. Analysis of test data over the last 3 years shows that we have progress with more children moving from average to above average and high.
Teacher Questionaires and focus group analysis highlighted vocabulary development and comprehension strategies as an area for development.
Pupil Questionaires indicated that most pupils have a positive attitude towards reading. They suggested that opportunities to improve fluency and to read enjoyable material would help them to become better readers.
In the Junior classes teachers felt that that there was a need to focus on extending vocabulary and sentence structure in order to extend and explore meaning.
Teacher focus group meetings highlighted the need for emphasis on self-assessment and collaborative learning. Teachers felt that they plan effectively for A.O.L. and A.F.L.
Teacher evaluation of the literacy plan highlighted the need for a whole school approach to teaching writing genres in all classes.

Year 1 Actions

  • Oral Language Development (Junior Classes)
  • Development of Comprehension Strategies.  (Building Bridges of Understanding)
  • Development of fluency in reading  (1-6 classes)
  • Vocabulary Extension work
  • Self-Assessment of writing ( use of writing rubric)

Year 2 Action

    • Oral Language Development ( Junior classes)
    • Aistear Programme (Junior/Senior Infants)
    • Oral Language Programme (1/2)
    • Extension of whole school approach to teaching comprehension strategies (Building Bridges of Understanding)
    • Development of fluency in reading (1-6)
    • Vocabulary Extension work
    • Whole School Approach to teaching of writing genres
    • Self- Assessment of writing in all genres using rubric (2-6).

Year 3 Actions

  • Oral language development (as per year 2)
  • Extension of whole school approach to teaching comprehension strategies (Building Bridges of Understanding)
  • Development of fluency in reading (1st -6th)
  • Introduction of Literacy Hour (collaborative learning)
  • Vocabulary Extension work
  • Whole School Approach to teaching of writing genres
  • Self- Assessment of writing in all genres using rubric (2-6)
  • Introduction of Scribing in all classes (creative writing)