How do children learn to read?

WHAT IS READING? ‘I define reading as a message-getting, problem-solving activity which increases in power and flexibility the more it is practised.’ Marie Clay Becoming Literate Meaning facilitates reading; it is not just the outcome of it.

There are three cueing systems. We use all three simultaneously. Meaning Structure Visual understanding the author’s message

1. Structure- Does it sound right? Syntactic cues These cues are based on our knowledge of how language works. Layout of the page Text type Oral language competence/experiences Writing experiences

It …………..under the water. The word must be a

2. Meaning – Does it make sense? Semantic cues These cues are based on meaning, which comes from our knowledge of the subject (or our schema). Life experiences Connections we make with the text Illustrations

Tommy put his pet tortoise in the tank. It ……………… under the water.

3. Visual- Does it look right? Grapho-phonic cues These cues are based on the shape and the sound of words. Syllables Initial sounds Inflexions Onset and rime Hearing all sounds in words

Tommy put his pet tortoise in the tank. It d……… under the water.

Making new predictions about what will happen next Confirming or correcting what we’ve just read Decoding words based on our knowledge of letters and sounds and the way words look.

Early reading behaviours Looking at pictures Re reading Pointing to words (1 to 1 matching) Substituting Appealing Using directional movement Correcting errors Sounding out Omitting words Self correcting Self monitoring (listening to how the reading sounds)

Maddisyn, aged 3 What early reading behaviours can you identify?

Early reading strategies Self-monitoring (or checking on oneself) Predicting or anticipating Confirming Cross checking cueing systems Searching for information Self correcting

Successful readers: Expect what they read to make sense Can make predictions based on their understanding of the content and of the language Can test their predictions Can correct themselves when their predictions are incorrect

The difficulty of your set could be increased if you do a jam followed by a peach.

Comprehension questions Does a jam precede a peach? How can you increase the difficulty of a set? Will a set including a jam be more difficult than a set including a peach? Explain how you can improve your set.

The point values you can earn on your gymnastics routine can be bigger if you include, in sequence, two particular skills on the uneven parallel bars: the "jam," which leaves the gymnast sitting on the high bar; and the "peach," where the gymnast moves from the high bar to the low bar.

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