Reading Background Teaching reading has evolved over many years and how you were taught to read is different to how children are taught today Higher expectations on what Kindergarten are expected to know from when I first started teaching Need for students to learn with text of gradual increase in difficulty David:

What is Reading? “…… a message-getting, problem solving activity which increases in power and flexibility the more it is practiced.” Marie Clay (1991) Becoming Literate p.6

How do successful readers read? Successful readers Expect what they read to make sense and look right Can predict what is to come in the text on the basis of their understanding of the content, of language and of the print Are able to test their predictions Are able to monitor their own reading and self- correct when they find their predictions to be unsatisfactory Are risk-takers and active problem solvers

What is a Running Record? It is the most important task for assessing text reading A child’s reading is calculated on a piece of text; looking at their successes and their errors It shows what strategies they are using and ignoring when they are reading Competence at being fast, fluent and phrased A score is determined as a percentage of the words correct

How do teacher’s analyse a running record? Where there are error behaviours or self corrections …. A teacher works out why the child has made that error: The meaning of the text (M) The structure of the sentence (S) Sometimes from the visual cues (V) Teacher work out why the child self-corrected spontaneously

Running Record Scoring Easy- any score over 95% Instructional- 94 to 90% Hard- 89% and below

Why level books? A Gradient of Difficulty in Texts A sequenced introduction of what has to be learned setting children up for success Little books have been developed on several levels of difficulty and the gradient of difficulty has been determined by the publisher The level of difficulty will vary from district to district What might be easy for one child could be hard for another

How PM Readers are written- Beverley Randell Traditional story structure- central character, a problem, problem solved Meaning at all levels. Use concepts children can grasp Meticulous grading that gives children the reward of success Introduction of basic sight words- never more than 5 a book. About 150 words introduced by Level 11 Meticulous care with illustrations that match text

Guide for Minimum Reading Levels Kindergarten- Level 5 Year One- Level 12 Year Two- Level 18 Year Three-Level 21 Year Four-Level 24

Linking Children to Text level Checking on their levels with Running records Meaning- Ensuring the children understand the more complex text structure and language Keeping it easy so that they can practise fluency, phrasing and expression Allows the teacher to work in class on reading strategies at an appropriate level for group work

Linking Levels to Reading Age Read ing Age 5 – – – Book Level