Guidance on the teaching of reading : INSET opportunities for teachers of all subjects across the...

Guidance on the teaching of reading:

INSET opportunities for teachers of all subjects across the curriculum at key

stages 2 and 3

Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and SkillsYr Adran Plant, Addysg, Dysgu Gydol Oes a Sgiliau

Why is this pack needed?

• The ability to read effectively is essential to the study of every NC subject and also to learners’ well-being in the outside world

• Although most learners succeed to some extent in initial reading, many are then left to their own devices and do not go on to make sufficient progress

• Realising this lack of progress, learners may well react against the whole process of reading and fail to become effective readers

• Many teachers are not confident in knowing how to develop learners’ higher order reading skills

• There is therefore insufficient direct teaching of higher order reading skills in some classrooms

• This pack aims to provide a ‘toolkit’ of strategies for all teachers to use

How/when should it be used?

• The pack is designed to be used in school or cluster-based INSET for NC English and for promoting language and literacy across the curriculum at key stages 2 and 3

• It should be used if a school’s self-evaluation process indicates that reading is a problem in English or in subjects across the curriculum

Who is the pack for?

The pack could be used by:• teachers of English• teachers of all other subjects of the curriculum in

all schools• learning support assistants• senior managers with responsibility for language

and literacy across the curriculum• LA advisory teams• ITET tutors

What does it contain?

• The pack contains 10 Units organised as INSET sessions

• Each can be used singly or as part of a continuing programme of work

• Each unit is self-contained and includes tasks, supportive guidance and ‘answers’ for the use of the group leader(s)

Unit 1. Towards a definition

1. What is best practice in the teaching of reading?

2. Do we follow current trends?

3. What is reading?

4. Reading for meaning.

5. Defining the skills.

Unit 2. Developing the skills

1. Group prediction.

2. Making quick decisions.

3. Reading to find specific information.

4. General discussion

Unit 3. Comprehension: a quest for meaning

1. What is comprehension?

2. Comprehension as a process.

3. The comprehension exercise.

4. Question setting.

5. Using the guide to question setting.

Unit 4. Shared reading and guided reading

1. Shared reading.

2. Guided reading.

3. What features should be taught?

4. How do shared reading and guided reading differ?

5. Implementing one strategy.

Unit 5. Into the text: active approaches

1A. Cloze procedure

1B. (optional) Scanning techniques

2. Preparing passages

3. Sequencing activities

Unit 6. More active approaches

1. Graphic modelling

2. Reading for a purpose: identifying what you want to know

3. Reading for a purpose: extending the range of reading material

Unit 7. Developing research skills and organising information

1. Using reference books

2. Developing good habits

3. Taking notes.

4. Collating facts and organising information.

Unit 8. Interpreting the evidence

1. Distinguishing between fact and opinion; awareness of a writer’s bias.

2. Using primary evidence

3. Becoming familiar with subject-specific vocabulary.

4. Optional task: using the library.

Unit 9. Looking at literature

1. Why literature?

2. Using drama approaches: hot seating.

3. Improvisation and role play

4. Building up a fact file.

5. Appreciating language use.

Unit 10. The assessment of reading

1. Where is the evidence?

2. Formative assessment: assessment for learning

3. Progression in reading

4. Making judgements about the work of one learner

5. Summative assessment: assessment of learning. The policy in Wales.

Questions for discussion

• How might the publication best be used:– in your school?– in your cluster of schools?– in your LA?

• How would you pace the work? Over a half-term, a term or a different period?

• How/when would you organise the work?

• What benefits might this bring?

Enquiries

Any enquiries about this publication should be addressed to:Curriculum and Assessment DivisionDepartment for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and SkillsWelsh Assembly GovernmentGovernment BuildingsCathays ParkCardiffCF10 3NQTel: 0800 083 6003e-mail: C&A3-14.C&A3-14@wales.gsi.gov.uk