Milford Haven School is dedicated to raising the standards of literacy and numeracy for all learners, so that they develop the skills necessary to cope confidently with the demands of further education, employment and adult life. We aim to achieve this through high quality teaching and learning opportunities and a rich intervention programme to engage, develop and inspire learners. Milford Haven School is committed to helping everyone reach their potential, reducing inequality and improving economic and social well-being, and the development of excellent literacy and numeracy skills are at the heart of this commitment.
Accelerated Reader is a computer program that helps teachers manage and monitor children’s independent reading practice. Your child picks a book at his/her own level and reads it at his/her own pace.
When finished, your child takes a short quiz on the computer (passing the quiz is an indication that your child has understood what was read.) AR gives both children and teachers feedback based on the quiz results which the teacher then uses to help your child set targets and direct ongoing reading practice.
Children using AR choose their own books to read, rather than having one assigned to them. This makes reading much more enjoyable experience as they can choose books that are interesting to them. Teachers and librarians help your child to choose books at an appropriate reading level that are challenging without being frustrating, ensuring that your child can pass the quiz and experience success.
Every term the year 7 and 8 student will take a STAR reader test which gives them a book level based on a Zone of Proximal Development. This is the level that will enable a child to be challenged without causing frustration or loss of motivation. Your child will receive a ZPD range after taking the STAR test.
Every book that has an AR reading practice quiz is given a point value. AR points are computed based on the difficulty of the book and the length of the book. Children earn points, or a portion of the points depending on how well they do in the quiz.
At Milford Haven School, we like to reward pupils who consistently reach their reading target and strive to improve their quiz taking. They will be monitored closely and encouraged to read at home as well as in school. For more information please visit https://www.renaissance.com/
All pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 will sit literacy and numeracy tests. Your child’s teachers have been teaching the skills for these tests and familiarising your child with the test format. Your child will be informed of the day each test will be taken. Parents will receive the test results in the summer term with your child’s report.
For further information please click here for the Welsh Government guide which provides parents/carers with information explaining what the tests involve and how the results will be reported.
Should you have any concerns about your child’s literacy and, or numeracy skills development then please do not hesitate to contact your child’s English and, or Maths teacher.
In Milford Haven School, we believe that ‘reading is the key to learning’. We passionately believe that
reading is one of the best skills we can give to our pupils, so that they can become ambitious, capable
learners.
Click the image to the left to access our reading strategy booklet.
Miss Hill has produced the video below to allow a closer insight into literacy here at Milford Haven School. The video shows just some of what we do to nurture strong literacy skills in all of our learners.
8 Reading Behaviours.
Voice 21.
Talk For Writing.
At Key Stage 3, learners develop communication skills in a modern foreign language which build on and support their literacy and oracy skills in English and Welsh. They may also build on skills, knowledge and understanding developed in Key Stage 2, where modern foreign languages are part of the curriculum (See Appendix, page 26, for Key Stage 2: a non-statutory framework).
