1. Year 1 Reading Meeting Brandlehow School 22nd November 2012

2. Aims of today: Feedback on audit of Year 1 reading 2011-12
Explanation of the book band system
Description of different approaches to the teaching and assessing of reading at Brandlehow
Helpful hints about reading with your child
An opportunity for feedback/questions via feedback forms
Further information and websites

3. Parent meeting 22.11.12 feedback form1.docx

4. Audit of Year 1 Reading
Children moved up between 3 and 6 book band levels (where pink and red are broken into three levels within each)
This is in line with 1-3 sub-levels of progress in reading according to national curriculum levels, which is in line with/ahead of government expectations
Children read between 6 and 56 books within a level before moving up after either reassessment or discussion with parents/carers
With noted exceptions, there were between 1 and 4 months between level progression

5. Audit of Year 1 Reading 2011-12 continued
The transition from pink level and red level into three sections within each of these was tricky but brilliantly supported by support from the parent team and by the teachers – only three examples found of repeated books
Progress on entry to Year 2 and since then has been between 1 and 4 book band levels of progress
Children who progressed more steadily and through teacher assessment in Year 1 were more likely to have moved 3 or more book band levels in Year 2 and to continue to make good progress
In a very small number of cases, progress between book bands took leaps rather than steady steps, suggesting that assessment should be a continued area of focus for Brandlehow – this has been implemented this year already
Liaison between home and school is essential, as is understanding about the difference between ‘reading’ in both contexts

6. What does it mean to be a confident reader?
Enjoyment – books are seen as a joy
A range of strategies
Sight vocabulary – key words for each year group
Confident application of knowledge of phonics
A range of reading material
Understanding about the role of reading to access information and knowledge
Shared discussion
Independence
Comprehension (inference and deduction)
Prediction and summary skills

7. A valuable lesson:
Pushing children too fast through levels may have a short-term positive impact but has been seen to be detrimental longer term because of the impact on confidence and on key strategies and knowledge being rushed…
Readiness is the key and this has to be very carefully assessed
Different children learn differently and need to have different approaches implemented

8. Searchlightsreadingstrategies.pdf Searchlight strategies for reading
Phonic
Grammatical
Sight and graphic knowledge
Context
Searchlightsreadingstrategies.pdf

9. Three kinds of question:
On the surface (blindingly obvious questions)
Between the lines (inference, deduction, implication)
Blue Sky (using the text to form your own opinions)
Ms Loughnan came skipping into the room.
Who came skipping into the room?
Was Ms Loughnan happy or sad?
What might Ms Loughnan do next?

10. The Book Bands: Book band National Curriculum Level Focus area
Pink A, B, C W1
cvc words, digraphs, cvcc
Red A, B, C
ccvc, words, more tricky words, magic e
Yellow L1
Sight words
Blue
Increasingly longer, harder texts with longer sentences, a need for deeper engagement in the text and ‘tricky’ words
Green
Orange
Turquoise W2
Purple 2C
Gold 2B
White 2A
cvc = consonant, vowel, consonant words, e.g. pat
ccvc = clap cvcc = golf digraphs = two letters/one sound, e.g. ch

11. Changing level Teachers assess the children’s levels regularly.
Bench mark - 90% fluency plus sound comprehension and all the other aspects of reading ability
T-A-P, the difference between fluency and decoding
books per colour band
If you have any queries or questions please speak to your class teacher

12. Difference between reading at home and at school
The levelling grid for reading
90% or more of reading fluency of words
Ability to engage fully with the text at all levels
Success across a range of books
At home:
Enjoyment of the text – shared moments
Confidence with reading – using the prompts to strengthen all aspects of reading competence
Sight vocabulary and phonic confidence/speed

13. Reading levelling grids
P:\Main Staff Area\Year group work\Year 1\Assessment\Autumn Assessment\Year 1 reading levelling grid.doc

14. Reading at Brandlehow Guided reading weekly with a teacher.
One-on-one with a teacher fortnightly.
Reading with a teaching assistant.
Reading with volunteer parents.
Whole class reading.
Independent reading.
Range and variety of books.

15. Guided reading In small groups of between 3 and 6 children Weekly
Usually one book band level above independent reading book band level
Focus on phonic knowledge and all other searchlight strategies
Priority on comprehension of the text and engagement
Discussion of questions, prediction, summary and sequencing

16. Volunteer Readers
We are so grateful to all those who come in and read…
This is how it works:
Apple, Mango, Peach have their own reading files
Each child has their own record
Children’s books are changed according to the list
Difficulty level fluctuates within the colour bands, it is not chronological
Children get on better with different reading schemes and this is something we try to account for
Confidentiality is essential
Feedback is an important part of the assessment process but is taken into account with all other aspects of teacher evaluation

17. Now for your bit!
The role that home experience plays in children’s reading confidence is essential!
Read with your child every evening for at least 10 minutes
Choose a calm and comfy environment and protect the time
Reading games are wonderful opportunities, as is reading out and about in everyday life
Positive reinforcement and modelling of enjoyment play a crucial role
Reading to your child is a great chance to extend their vocabulary, to give them a love of different genres and authors and to model good expression while reading
Don’t forget non-fiction books!

18. Tips for reading
Make sure the child is comfortable and holds the book appropriately.
Make sure they know that ‘print tells a story’.
Can the child find the title and identify page numbers?
Can they recognise and respond to words such as title, cover, character and author?
Make sure they follow the text with their finger.

19. Tips for reading
Encourage your child to read aloud with appropriate expression.
Encourage your child to respond to simple punctuation.
Allow them time to self correct but not to struggle.
If they are stuck on a word, help them by breaking the word down to its simplest sounds. Model all four searchlight strategies.

20. Tips for reading Ask simple questions based on events in the story.
Remember, re-reading enables the children to build up their confidence and hear themselves reading fluently.
Can they retell the story, breaking it up into beginning, middle and end?
Ask the child their opinions about the book.

21. Questions to ask whilst reading
Can you point to the title?
Where is the author’s name?
Can you find the page numbers?
What do you think is going to happen in the story?
Who are the characters in the story?
What is the setting of the story?

22. More questions to ask whilst reading the book
What do you think is going to happen next?
How do you think the characters feel now?
Can you tell me what’s happening in the picture?
Can you retell the story?
Is there another word for …
Does this remind you of any other stories?

23. Reading Comments Self corrects some errors.
Omission (misses words out).
Insertion (adds words that are not in the text).
Substitution (an incorrect word is substituted for another, i.e. ‘what’ for ‘where’).
Reversal (reverses words, i.e. saw/was).
Hesitation (if a child clearly hesitates while decoding a word).

24. Book Changing – the practicalities
Book change takes place on a Tuesday and a Friday.
Book bags should be brought to school everyday. If you don’t want the book changed, leave it at home.
No book bag, no books!
No more than two books at a time (4 per week is plenty)!
It is good to get a range of reading – there
are lots of other sources of books
Story books and box sets are brilliant to have as additional resources
Reading is FUN!

25. Key sites/extra areas of interest
Menu.htm
Author websites

26. Ameliorating Early Reading Failure by Integrating the Teaching of Reading and Phonological Skills: The Phonological Linkage Hypothesis – Hatcher et al, 2008
Profiles of children with specific reading comprehension difficulties – Cain and Oakhill, 2010
Phonemes, Rhymes, and Intelligence as Predictors of Children's Responsiveness to Remedial Reading Instruction: Evidence from a Longitudinal Intervention Study - Hatcher and Hulme, 2008