Standard 3 states that teachers must “take responsibility for promoting high standards of literacy, articulacy and the correct use of standard English”. There are several ways in which my contributions to Starks Field have promoted literacy, articulacy and English.

1. I have participated in the Daily Supported Reading Scheme for two terms. This has allowed me to work with children in Years 1 and 2, in order to support early reading development. Not only does this promote literacy, but I also place emphasis on articulacy while children read aloud.

2. Every Thursday morning, I cover Year 1 PPA. Hilary (RE teacher) and I have been teaching their morning phonics lesson, before teaching the RE and music lessons. This has allowed me to help children practice their basic phonics sounds, and to create words and sentences using diagraphs and phonemes.

3. There are several abstract ways in which I promote standards of literacy in music lessons. On occasion I have children read lyrics to a song, which provides reading practice while singing. I also use staff notation to teach children how to correlate musical symbols with their sounds. While this is not specifically related to English literacy, the process of decoding symbols has cross-curricular benefits, especially for children who might struggle with the English alphabet.

4. I promote articulacy through music lessons. In Early Years and Key Stage 1, I teach a variety of rhymes and chants. This encourages all children to speak clearly, and it helps to build vocabulary for non-English speakers. I also teach children to play the recorder, which helps to exercise the tongue and facial muscles necessary in order to speak articulately. Performing music is also an exercise in articulacy, as children learn to present and communicate music verbally and non-verbally.