Chris Chivers (Thinks)

  • Home
  • Blog-Thinking Aloud
  • Contact
  • Contents
  • PDFs
  • Sing and strum

Reading is a personal thing

20/11/2015

5 Comments

 
Picture
With a little more time on my hands as I take more control over my diary, I am finding that I read more, in part as a result of being an active proponent of the #teacher5aday project that has been running throughout this year. As we reach the end of the year, it is perhaps a time to reflect on reading journeys as a whole. What actually makes a reader a reader?

There is a huge and continual debate about the “nuts and bolts” of reading, with often polarised disagreements about the right or wrong way to learn. You have the basics of letters, sounds, words, sentences, text and this is not seeking to determine the best way to teach it, because, I think that there is a need to explore the needs of the learner in all this. It is relatively easy to teach the discrete concepts that constitute reading, but it is in the mind of the learner that the whole has to come together to make sense.

I get upset at announcements that x% of children “cannot read” at certain points in their school lives, more for the children, who may have individual reasons why this is the case, but may, in reality, be close to the mark of being a reader, but failed to get a mark in a test that supplied the data for the comment.

Phonics was an integral part of teaching and learning, with Jolly Phonics in the Infants and more general phonics check lists within the juniors. Spellings were a mixture of personal spelling errors to address, with topic words and for some word “families” to explore. I would have to admit that it probably reflected my own analytical approach.

Reading, for many years used to be a close encounter between a teacher and the child, as it was based on individualised progress, sharing some of the book, setting targets for reading in between the shared sessions, often with the help of parents through a home-school reading book. Up until 1992, my career did not include any kind of teaching assistant, and in the early days, these were often used for the administration tasks in the room. Teachers knew the schemes available and many knew the authors and the free readers that were in the libraries.

Creating a class reading area was an important element of the room, especially when particular authors were selected as the “author of the month”. Rather than book reviews, we often wrote a postcard or a letter to the author after the month and, if the author was still alive, would send them off through the publisher, often receiving a reply that caused great excitement.

Books were available at a challenge level, and a fluency level, so that children could read for pleasure, as well as read for challenge, but avoiding books that would cause frustration and demotivation. Bookmarks, or notes in the home-school book highlighted the different challenges, so that parents could understand and listen appropriately.

Miscue analysis, by the teacher, underpinned some of the listening, to identify areas where the child may be having an issue. These would be addressed appropriately and in timely fashion, with individual guidance and support.

Just listening intently to children read meant that they had to perform. Some are better performers than others, when reading aloud. I would always give preparation time to the children to allow them to read to themselves for five minutes before reading aloud to me. As we would share some of the prepared text, this assurance often led to improved fluency. Reading aloud, from “cold” can be a challenge for adults.

Sustained silent reading was an after lunch entry activity, always from their fluency level book, so that they could read independently for enjoyment, as well as using some of the time for changing within that same level, if the book was finished.

There was always a class reader, with potentially “dead” time being used to share another few pages, as well as some dedicated sharing time at the end of the school day, after everything had been properly cleared away. It is surprising how a good book can encourage rapidity in tidying.

For more able readers, two things came together; selecting their own books as “free readers” but also “conferencing”; readers talking about what they were reading, to encourage classmates to try new and perhaps more challenging reads. In that way too, teachers got to know a greater range of books, often then reading them for themselves. The selection of books was based on the “five finger rule”; if, in reading the first page, more than five difficult words were encountered, children were encouraged to choose another. This was to encourage fluency and stamina through reading longer books. Challenge was still kept for texts shared by the teacher. Children had the right not to complete the book if they were not enjoying the narrative or the author style, but this was discussed before agreeing. Rapid and easy changing routines are essential.

In the days of class tape recorders as the only technology, every child had a personal tape, into which, at least once a fortnight, they had to record a few pages of their book, while listening through headphones, then listening back to themselves while they read silently. This provided a stimulus, but also a record of progress, which they took home at the end of the year. Digital technology offers the same potential.

Parent guidance is essential, if they are not to become a negative element in reading progress. This might entail a reading evening, an information booklet on how to share a book or personal advice at parent’s evenings. Equally, a bookmark that says either “I think I can read this by myself”, “I may need some help with some words in this book”, or “I’ve chosen to challenge myself with this book and it might be hard”. If the bookmarks are on green, amber and red card, they are easily interchangeable and easy to spot.

Reading is personal. If a child is experiencing difficulty in reading, it is incumbent on the teacher to investigate fully what might be causing the issue and to set up appropriate support to address the issues. It might simply be choosing a more appropriate book. Analyse the need, plan for remedy, action the plan effectively, follow up regularly, check progress and coach accordingly. Turn them into comfortable performers when reading aloud.
​
This is the only way that children will leave Primary schools able to read. In my school, we got 95% of children reading at level 4+ (50-60% L5) by using these approaches.


Good readers made better writers. There was considerable spin-off benefit to this approach.
5 Comments
Jill Berry
21/11/2015 07:55:18 pm

Thanks for this, Chris. Really like the letter/postcard to the author idea.

I remember so vividly the power of the shared reading experience in the secondary English classrooms of my teaching experience.

Reply
Anita Devi
22/11/2015 06:52:54 am

For sure Chris - holistic & integrated approaches to reading that encourage enjoyment, curiosity & a passion to learn. As I say to children & adults alike "We learn to read, so we can read to learn" #JoyofLearning
Thank you for putting your thoughts to computer & sharing.

Reply
Anita Devi
22/11/2015 06:59:36 am

Should add though - not so keen on the multiple sounds of Jolly Phonics in EY. Sometimes a challenge to get children out of the a-a-a-a ... sound, to understand the pure phoneme 'a'.

Reply
Su Chapman
17/1/2016 07:27:20 pm

Thanks Chris...I'm an avid fan of reading. Teaching in a boys school we are always trying to get reading to be a 'cool' thing to do! This year I've swapped from 10mins at the start of the lesson to 30 mins on the last lesson of the week. Looking for quality reading this year and hoping to get chance to listen to the boys reading. Thanks for sharing...keeping us focused. 📚

Reply
Chris
17/1/2016 07:36:59 pm

Thanks Sue. Reading is fundamental to learning, needs the broadest possible language base, as well as the detailed skills via phonics. Then a realisation that they can do it for themselves, so that they take over and develop more independence. Very much like learning to ride a bike or skateboard. At some stage the adults step back and coach from a distance.
Hope your boys catch the bug.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Chris Chivers

    Long career in education, classroom and leadership; always a learner.
    University tutor and education consultant; Teaching and Learning, Inclusion and parent partnership.
    Francophile, gardener, sometime bodhran player.

    Archives

    March 2021
    January 2021
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    September 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014

    Categories

    All
    Assessment
    Behaviour
    Differentiation
    English
    Experience
    History
    Home Learning
    Inclusive Thinking
    Maths
    Parents
    Science
    SEND
    Sing And Strum
    Teaching And Learning

    RSS Feed

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Picture
    Click to set custom HTM L
Proudly powered by Weebly