How well can they read? Preparing pupils for transition to Key Stage 3
1. Janet Brennan
2 July 2014
How well can they read?
Preparing pupils for transition to Key Stage 3
2. 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?’
3. 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.
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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).
7. 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
8. 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).
9. 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.
10. 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).
11. Importance of accurate decoding
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12. 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.
13. The Simple View of Reading
Jim Rose, Independent review of the teaching of early reading (the Rose Review), DfE, 2006.
Crown copyright 2006.
14. The Simple View of Reading
Implications of the Simple View of Reading
(SVoR)
two dimensions:
word recognition
language comprehension
four possible outcomes
Teachers should not necessarily expect pupils
to show equal performance or progress in each
of the two dimensions.
These two
dimensions are
fundamental
to teaching reading
in NC 2014.
15. 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.
16. 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?
17. 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/
19. 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)
20. 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.
21. 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.
