The Power of Reading How do we teach children to read in Colfe’s Junior School and also produce life long readers?

A shared rationale Through reading pupils have a chance to develop culturally, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually By reading widely across both fiction and non-fiction, children develop their knowledge of themselves and the world in which they live, and establish an appreciation and love of reading Once children are reading they are able to access the wider curriculum Reading widely and often increases vocabulary as children encounter words they do not use readily in everyday speech Reading also feeds the imagination and opens up a treasure house of wonder and joy for curious young minds

So what is reading and what is it not? “I describe reading as a message-getting, problem-solving activity which increases in power and flexibility the more it is rehearsed” Marie Clay, (1991) It is not a performance It is not a test: every time you finish a book, do you always choose a harder one next time? It is not a race or a competition

An extract taken from a computer manual According to the previous ATA/IDE hard drive transfer protocol, the signaling way to send data was in synchronous strobe mode by using the rising edge of the strobe signal. The faster strobe rate increases EMI, which cannot be eliminated by the standard 40-pin cable used by ATA and ultra ATA.

Skills children need Phonics and word recognition Understanding: The ability to understand the meaning of the words and sentences in a text. The ability to understand the ideas, information and themes in a text.

Providing opportunities Daily phonics sessions Shared reading Guided reading Independent/personal reading Regular class library sessions Volunteer parent readers Focused reading activities Reading across the curriculum Reading scheme books (home/school link)

How do teachers work out which reading levels to send home? Books to read independently in school or take home: 95% accuracy: ‘Alice was bigging to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to doll; once or tooting she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pruts or conversations in it, “and hat is the use of a book”, though Alice, “ without pruts or conversations?”’ INSTRUCTIONAL TEXTS EASY TEXTS A fine balance – No undue conscious effort but no over-familiarity

Reading at home – enjoy! Make reading visible Share books every day Boys need to see that reading is something that men do Talk about books Sit and listen Respect choices

Hearing your child read Take a ‘walk’ through the book ahead of reading and encourage them to use context (experiences, passions, adventures…) Explain the meaning of new words Talk about the text using ‘Find It’ (literal) and ‘Prove It’ (inference and deduction) questions: Who are the characters? Who is the main character? How would you feel if…? What might … say to …?

Connections The story triggers experiences Their mind is filled with memories They are making sense of the text in terms of events and people in their own lives They can make connections to pictures, plot, characters and feelings from the story Oxford Reading Tree – real life situations – family/friendships/school etc

What if my child gets stuck on a word? Use phonics first. What sound does the word begin with? Can you say the sounds in the word? Can you blend them together? Read to the end of the sentence. What would make sense? Read ahead to clarify meaning. What is the text about – what might fit here? Does it sound right? Look at the picture. Does it help?

An example… John let his pet frog go. It ****** across the grass. It h***** across the grass. It hopping across the grass. It hopped across the grass.

Book talk: making your child think… It is not a test! The best way to develop understanding is to talk about the book. Look for clues and predict what might happen. Empathy – what is going on from the character’s point of view? Which words tell you what the character is like? What do you think will happen next? What would you do? What have you learned about … in your book? What can you tell me about…?

No closed questions! Do you like this book? Do you like this character? It is a good story, isn’t it? Do you like reading? Are you good at reading? Do you like this kind of story?

Developing understanding Importance of visualising – making the movie in your head when you read – smell the bread baking/hear the birds singing If you can visualise you tend to ask questions of the text as you read

Writing Writing floats on a sea of talk Massively increase the opportunities to write What shall I do in the Summer holiday?