1. How we improve oral skills
Belgium school De Smalle

2. TUTOR READING
Every week there is a moment when a student of the 5th or 6th class coaches a student of the 1st class. This lasts for half an hour. They stay buddies for the rest of the schoolyear.
First the tutor gets much information how to work with their younger buddy. The tutor is told how to deal with speed and correctness, reading attitudes and intonation while reading. After every reading moment the tutor makes a small report that's kept together in a map. This map contains this report with the book the student has read. It's very important that the tutor gives positive feedback.
The teacher of the first class, together with the special teacher set up a collection of books according to the reading level of every student.
While reading together the tutor learns to be responsible for the younger student. Because the tutor has to ask questions while reading she or he gets more information of how the story of the book is build. It's necessary for the coach to listen very thoroughly and correct errors. Reading speed is also very important. The tutor doesn't have to be a kind of policeman either... By working together student and tutor can create a friendship.

3. Tutor reading starts at the beginning of a schoolyear
Tutor reading starts at the beginning of a schoolyear. First they practice with characters (a, b, c...), then words (e.g. in columns), sentences and at last small books.
To strengthen the fellowship between tutor and student we ask them to make small artworks together about a theme in a book or something that happens in school.
At the end of the schoolyear there is an interview with the tutor about how everything went so far.
Tutor reading starts in the first year at primary school and also goes further in the second year. To support this reading progress in the third year we start with "level reading"

4. LEVEL READING
During level reading "technical reading" is exercised in groups of maximum 4 students. These groups are organized according their reading level.
Students have to listen very carefully to each other while reading out loud. They must try to hear errors from each other and then correct them. It's the intention to read with much articulation. It's necessary to make stops at punctuation marks in the text. The teachers encourage them to work together and have patience with each other.
It's also very important that these students go and seek other books to read in e.g. the libraries.
The special teacher takes tests in December and June to determine the reading level of the students.