Literacy through history

Key stage 1

The discipline of history makes a significant contribution to the development of children's literacy skills in addition to providing a stimulating context for literacy work.

The key goal of history lessons should be to develop children's historical understanding. However, history lessons can also provide valuable opportunities to reinforce what children have been doing during the literacy hour and to apply it in a different context.

With careful planning, history texts and the reading and writing tasks completed in history can provide opportunities for children to develop and apply their skills and understanding of literacy.

Furthermore, reading and writing are essential for the processes of finding out about, and communicating an understanding of, history. Discussion, drama and role play are aspects of the programmes of study for speaking and listening and are important ways for children to develop their understanding that people have different viewpoints and perspectives on history.

Speaking and listening in key stage 1

QCA, together with the DfES and the Primary Strategy, has recently published a package of materials on speaking and listening across the curriculum.

All primary schools should have received a copy of the package, Speaking, Listening, Learning: working with children in key stages 1 and 2.

The package consists of:

• a handbook for teachers, with sections on:
  • What is distinctive about speaking and listening?
  • Speaking and listening in all areas of the curriculum
  • Making it work in the classroom
  • Progression in speaking and listening
  • Assessing speaking and listening
• a teaching objectives and classroom activities booklet with:
  • objectives by year group and strand
  • sample teaching sequences
  • commentaries on the video
• a progression poster setting out progression in the four strands of speaking and listening (speaking, listening, group discussion and interaction, and drama) across years 1/2, 3/4 and 5/6
• leaflets giving useful advice and examples of activities for each of the four strands of speaking and listening (speaking, listening, group discussion and interaction, and drama)
• a video with classroom case studies of speaking and listening.

The package of materials contains several references to history, showing how speaking and listening can be delivered through the programmes of study for key stage 1 and 2 history. The video also includes a history case study where speaking is developed through a series of year 4 activities on the Celts and the Romans.

Copies of the pack can be obtained from DfES Publications on 0845 60 222 60 [Reference: DfES 0623-2003 G]