Introduction to Education Support Reading

Learning to Read Children usually begin to ‘read’ familiar sight words before they begin to write. Reading involves a number of complex tasks: Code-breaking Comprehension Using text for a purpose

Learning to Read The five typical phases in reading development are outlined below: Phase 1: Awareness and Exploration Phase 2: Experimental Reading and Writing Phase 3: Early Reading and Writing Phase 4: Transitional Reading and Writing Phase 5: Independent and Productive Reading and Writing

Reading and Literacy: Are They the Same? Reading is the ability to interpret symbols and text Literacy includes reading, writing and language (listening and thinking)

Students as Readers Most reading programs focus on the following reader skills: Code-breaker skills Text-participant skills Text-user skills Text-analyst skills

Reading Fluency Reading Fluency can be developed by: reading aloud (with adult support) and rereading the same text a number of times modelling reading fluency by reading aloud to students on a daily basis students reading aloud in groups students reading aloud to a partner reading aloud a rehearsed text to a group choral reading – pairs of students read the same text aloud at the same time reading poetry and performing a dramatic script listening to audio books, where students track the spoken word with the written word

Text Comprehension According to the National Institute for Literacy there are seven key strategies that can be used to improve text comprehension: 1.Monitoring comprehension 2.Introducing new words 3.Using graphic organisers 4.Answering questions 5.Generating questions 6.Recognising story structure 7.Summarising

What Does This Tell Us About The Reading Process "Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteers be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe."

Supporting Students in the Classroom Strategies for Modelled Reading Before Be aware of the purpose of reading aloud Select texts that are age/interest appropriate/relevant to the curriculum Identify new vocabulary or concepts Always read the text aloud to yourself before reading it to students so that you can read with fluency Prepare follow-up activities Prepare questions that can be asked to stimulate a discussion of the reading

Supporting Students in the Classroom During Include the title, author and illustrator Describe the type of text and general content Pause during reading to ask questions or have students make predictions Think aloud Vary voice tone to suit the characters and the situation. Highlight new vocabulary, rhyming words, punctuation and so on Reinforce concepts/knowledge After Ask questions after the reading Always convey reading as a pleasant experience that can be enjoyed by everyone

Supporting Students in the Classroom Guided Reading Pause, Prompt, Praise: A Guided Reading Strategy Independent Reading Discussion of Text

Supporting Students in the Classroom Supporting Struggling Readers Students who struggle with reading will benefit from direct instruction that: introduces new skills and knowledge in a timely manner by building on existing skills and knowledge clearly identifies the level of achievement/mastery required by the student provides regular opportunities for systematic revision and practice provides timely and specific corrective feedback to the student includes systematic monitoring and documentation of student progress

Practical Classroom Strategies The suggestions below provide some examples of the many practical strategies that classroom teachers use to support their students: provide visual cues for words that challenge some students Provide markers for students who lose their place while reading Use a strip of cardboard to cover a word and move the card slowly to the right Other practical aids include using: large print-text, magnifiers, computer-based text talking books, online books with graphics and sound, CDs and DVDs interactive whiteboards technologies such as tablets

Supporting Students in the Classroom Listening to Students Read What to look for: Before reading begins does the student: Ask questions or make any comments about the text? Make predictions? Show a strong positive or negative response to the task? During reading does the student: Scan each page before reading? Make comments about illustrations/photographs/diagrams? Make comments that show the student is able to draw on prior knowledge? Use finger or other aid to track words/track with eyes only?

Supporting Students in the Classroom Notice and use punctuation correctly by pausing or using voice intonation? Self-correct? Reread a sentence or phrase to clarify meaning? Omit words? Substitute unknown words for a word with a similar meaning Guess the word at random by using a visual clue such as the first letter? Decode by sounding out words? Read on when difficult words or phrase are encountered? Slow down or stop when a difficult word is encountered? Read with appropriate fluency and expression?

Supporting Students in the Classroom Read with poor fluency? Demonstrate comprehension of text by responding appropriately when asked Make few/frequent errors? Read most high frequency words? After reading does the student: Demonstrate understanding of the content by describing main characters, setting, plot, key events or key information? Offer critical comments? Assess the student’s own performance? Make comparisons with other texts?

Assessment of Reading Assessment of reading will focus on key reading skills, including the following: Reading comprehension Language comprehension Reading accuracy Phonology assessment Semantic assessment Syntactic assessment Letter knowledge The alphabetic principle Awareness of print

Assessment of Reading Assessment of students’ reading skills and knowledge can include a range of strategies: Running records/Miscue analysis Retelling Cloze assessment tasks Reading isolated words Matching a spoken word to a written word

Reading Resources