Transcript Developing literacy

How well can they read?
Preparing pupils for transition to Key Stage 3
Janet Brennan
2 July 2014
This is a slightly condensed version of a workshop presentation given
on 2 July 2014 at the summer conference of the London West Alliance
and Challenge Partners: ‘What is great teaching and how to get it?’
Outcomes from this workshop
 a clearer understanding about the reading demands
pupils/students will face across the secondary
curriculum
 knowledge of the support that pupils, students and
teachers need
 sharing of delegates’ own practice and (perhaps)
plans to work together to tackle challenges
 some answers to questions about reading in the
National Curriculum 2014.
Expectations for the end of Year 6
It is essential that, by the end of their primary
education, all pupils are able to read fluently, and
with confidence, in any subject in their
forthcoming secondary education.
Introduction to the National Curriculum programmes of study for English
Published September 2013
Reading demands at transition
Changes in subject content bring changes in
language:
 vocabulary becomes more specialised o common words gain specialised meanings in
different subjects (salt, table, plane)
o specialised vocabulary will be unknown to many
students (topographical, newtons, specular*)
o subjects have subject-specific terminology
* Three examples from the 2014 Key Stage 3 programmes of study
Example: vocabulary in mathematics
Three broad categories of mathematical words:
 Words which are specific to mathematics and not usually
encountered in everyday language (for example hypotenuse,
coefficient)
 Words which occur in mathematics and in everyday English, but
have different meanings in these two contexts (for example
difference, volume, mean).
 Words which have the same or roughly the same meaning in both
contexts (for example fewer, between).
‘It is in the second of these categories that there is the greatest
potential for pupils to be confused by the language of mathematical
assessment….. Assessment of mathematics should, after all, be just
that and not assessment of pupils’ linguistic skills.’
H. Shuard and A. Rothery, Children reading mathematics (1984)
Quoted in D. Janan and D. Wray, Guidance on the principles of language accessibility in National Curriculum
assessments: research background, Ofqual (2012).
Reading demands at transition
Changes in subject content also bring wider changes
in language:
 the syntax of texts is more complex: students meet
sentence structures that they do not meet often in
speech, e.g. passive verbs, greater subordination
Demystifying reading and writing in
subjects across the curriculum
If students are to succeed in the content areas,
teachers will need to demystify the reading and
writing that go on there.
R. Heller and C. L. Greenleaf:
Literacy instruction in the content areas: getting to the core of middle and high
school improvement (2007).
National Curriculum 2014
Spoken language
[Pupils] should learn to justify ideas with reasons; ask
questions to check understanding; develop vocabulary
and build knowledge; negotiate; evaluate and build on
the ideas of others …
Reading and writing
Teachers should develop pupils’ reading and writing in
all subjects to support their acquisition of knowledge.
Pupils should be taught to read fluently, understand
extended prose, both fiction and non-fiction, and be
encouraged to read for pleasure.
Activating schemas – into practice
Knowledge schemas that remain inactive during
comprehension are as much use as non-voters during
an election – they have the power to influence the
outcome but they will only do so if they have been
stirred into action at the appropriate moment.
Wilkes, A.L. Knowledge in minds: individual and collective processes in
cognition (1997).
Importance of accurate decoding
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What is needed to read with
understanding across all subjects?
 fluent and accurate decoding (word reading)
 good vocabulary
 activation of schemas (background knowledge)
 ability to make inferences
 ability to integrate information (in widest sense)
from across text to make meaning
 motivation to read.
The Simple View of Reading
Jim Rose, Independent review of the teaching of early reading (the Rose Review), DfE, 2006.
Crown copyright 2006.
The Simple View of Reading
Implications of the Simple View of Reading (SVoR)
 two dimensions:
These two
 word recognition
dimensions are
fundamental
 language comprehension
to teaching reading
in NC 2014.
 four possible outcomes
Teachers should not necessarily expect pupils to
show equal performance or progress in each of
the two dimensions.
Intervention
Reading comprehension approaches [for intervention]
appear to be less effective when learners lack particular
phonic skills or the basic vocabulary required to
comprehend the text, so it is important that teachers are
able to assess pupils’ needs effectively prior to adopting
an intervention. In addition, observational evidence
suggests teachers tend to rely on a narrow range of
comprehension strategies in their teaching, so it is likely
that this is an area where high-quality professional
development is helpful.
Higgins, S., Katsipataki, M. and Coleman, R. Reading at the transition – interim
evidence brief, Education Endowment Foundation, June 2014.
So … what do we need to know about
pupils’ and students’ reading?
 How good is their word reading?
 How good is their vocabulary?
 How good is their language comprehension?
 If they are struggling, exactly what are their
difficulties? (How do you find out?)
 How motivated are they to read?
Standardised tests
 Word reading: Single Word Reading Test
 Word reading: Diagnostic test of word reading
processes
 Reading comprehension: the York Assessment of
Reading for Comprehension (early primary, primary
and secondary)
 Spelling: the Single Word Spelling Test
 Oral vocabulary: the British Picture Vocabulary Scale
Third Edition
Available from: www.gl-assessment.co.uk/
Standardised tests: benefits and limitations
Available from: www.gl-assessment.co.uk/
What support do teachers need?
 support from senior leaders and managers to
transform provision for reading
 reinforcement of reading by teachers across all
subjects – not just in English lessons
 well-founded subject knowledge about reading
(‘What happens in our heads when we read?’)
 knowledge of ‘what works’ to inform next steps
(i.e. evaluation of impact through qualitative and
quantitative data)
Success does not require exotic
strategies
Success in promoting literacy does not require extravagant
or exotic strategies. Schools should:
 involve all teachers and demonstrate how they are all
engaged in using language to promote learning in their
subject
 identify the particular needs of all pupils in reading,
writing, speaking and listening
 make strong links between school and home
 plan for the longer term, emphasising the integral
relationship between language for learning and effective
teaching in all subjects.
Ofsted, Improving literacy in secondary schools: a shared responsibility, April
2013.
Workshop discussion
 Describe what really works in your school:
o in improving the teaching of reading
o in identifying and supporting struggling readers.
 Identify a challenge you face in terms of reading. Be
as specific as you can so others can help you.
 (for teachers) Identify what help you or your
pupils/students need to move forward with reading.
 (for middle/senior leaders) Identify what help you or
your teachers need.