Reading Strategically Jonathan Robinson, MCIL Jonathan_peter2002@yahoo.co.uk

Reading Reading StrategicallyStrategically

Jonathan Robinson, MCILJonathan Robinson, MCIL

Jonathan_peter2002@yahoo.co.ukJonathan_peter2002@yahoo.co.uk

ProgrammeProgramme

MorningMorning

Session 1Session 1 – Reading as – Reading as a Linguistic Skilla Linguistic Skill

Session 2Session 2 – Strategic – Strategic Reading for SuccessReading for Success

12:30 - Lunch12:30 - Lunch

AfternoonAfternoon

Session 3Session 3 – Reading – Reading and Thinking across and Thinking across the Secondary Key the Secondary Key StagesStages

Session 4Session 4 – Creative – Creative Teachers of ReadingTeachers of Reading

15:30 – Plenary and 15:30 – Plenary and FinishFinish

Reading as a Linguistic Skill

‘Reading is not merely the attaching of sound to grapheme, which occurs only at an elementary

level. Meaning is involved, and in a fundamental way. At a higher level of perception reading can

even convey meaning alone, without any recourse to sound.

Therein lies reading’s sense-like magic.’ Steven Fischer (2005)

What do we mean by ‘Reading’ as a ‘Skill’?

Reading is a skill, because it has to be taught it has to be nurtured and it needs to be developed over time it is a valuable transferable tool that

students need to be able to command and employ effectively

it is strategy-based

Why do our students need to learn the skill of reading? Basic literacy demands it Deep understanding of the world requires it Everyday life is impossible at worst, and very hard at

best, without it Education and employers expect their students or

employees to be competent in it Enjoyment and life enrichment stem from it Modern civilised society demands it Empowerment (social, economic and political) is possible

because of it In MFL, reading can support speaking and vice versa,

and it can also aid the memorisation process of new vocabulary for some learners

LITERACY IN ENGLAND!

1 IN 5 STUDENTS1 IN 5 STUDENTS LEAVES PRIMARY SCHOOL LEAVES PRIMARY SCHOOL WITH A WITH A READING AGE READING AGE OFOF BELOW 9 BELOW 9 YEARS. YEARS. 60% 60% AREARE BOYS BOYS, , ¾ ¾ AREARE WHITE WHITE ANDAND WORKING CLASSWORKING CLASS. THESE STUDENTS ARE . THESE STUDENTS ARE DENYED ACCESS TO THE CURRICULUM AND DENYED ACCESS TO THE CURRICULUM AND THIS CAN LEAD TO MEDIUM OR SEVERE THIS CAN LEAD TO MEDIUM OR SEVERE NEGATIVE BEHAVIOURAL OUTBURSTSNEGATIVE BEHAVIOURAL OUTBURSTS..

Source: Dispatches, Ch4 ‘Why our children can’t read’ – 22nd October 2007

A skill needs nurturing and developing

Stepping stones to becoming a successful

reader:

Skill gap: written word

inaccessible

Reading strategies are acquired:

engagement with written word

Reading becomes automatic and

autonomous: personal response to written

word becomes possible

ACTIONRESULT

Practical considerations concerning S.E.N. students and reading

Awareness of how specific learning difficulties / behavioural issues / physical impairment have affected reading literacy in English (or L1) as well as MFL – Think CAT and SATS scores, language aptitude test results, school action plus, SEN statements. Use TAs / LSAs effectively …

Reading and the S.E.N. Student – Differentiation by task Set a choice of questions Consider tasks that work favourably with a

particular learning style (kinaesthetic, audio-visual, oral discussion / feedback on comprehension rather than written responses, use of pictures)

Decide how much linguistic help to provide (e.g. dictionaries, glossaries, word lists, multiple-choice options …)

Adapt texts – smaller chunks; carefully selected vocabulary

Reading and the S.E.N. Student – Differentiation by outcome

Set minimum targets in collaboration with the student

Consider various ways of presenting answers to the questions / tasks set

Personalise the learning – set the appropriate level of challenge for each student and reward each student’s progress against their individual success

Types of reading

Continuum of perceived and actual difficulty

Perceived Difficulty

Actual

Difficulty

E.g. Students often think that using the internet to support learning in the TL will be easy and effective, but will often have a knee-jerk reaction against reading a graded foreign language reader from the library, which will be perceived by them to be inaccessible and hard.

Types of reading

Personal Data TextsID cards, emails, postcards, notes, memos, informal letters, formal letters, business letters, pen friend letters, diary entries, lost and found, personals, for sale, property, invitations, RSVPs, order forms, faxes, letters of complaint / thanks / sympathy / congratulations / celebration, school reports, greetings cards

Cultural Information TextsAdvertisements, newspaper articles, TV guides, weather reports, shopping lists, flyers, menus, brochures, tourist information, timetables, road signs, shop signs, magazines, travel guides, maps, film posters, graffiti, notices

Types of reading continued Lexico-Logical Texts

Quizzes, puzzles, riddles, lists, packaging, labels, rules, regulations, instructions, recipes, times, quantities, prices, figures, itineraries

Popular Issues TextsHoroscopes, problem pages, agony aunt columns, leaflets, political flyers, chat rooms / msn, health / hygiene posters

Study and Leisure TextsCartoons, comics, drama, graded readers, novels, poetry, short stories, song lyrics, rhymes, fairy tales, folklore

Research TextsEncyclopaedias, graphs, charts, tables, statistics, headlines, reports, summaries, internet sites, web pages

Interaction with the written word – a multi-skills approach Reading + Speaking = e.g. discussion resulting from a

provocative passage (typical of A level) Reading + Listening = e.g. audio-books with book (useful

at KS4 and KS5) Reading + Writing = e.g. typical reading comprehension

(all key stages) Reading (+ Listening) + Writing + Speaking = e.g.

developing a role play from a model dialogue you have read (and probably heard) first

Reading + Speaking + Listening + Writing = e.g. walking dictations (typical of KS3)

QUIZ Who wrote that at a higher level reading can ‘convey

meaning alone, without any recourse to sound’? Give two reasons why reading can be described as a

skill. What are the stepping stones to becoming a successful

reader? Suggest 3 considerations that should be taken into

account when teaching SEN pupils to read? What line of continuum did you come across in this

lecture? What are Jonathan’s 6 categories of reading texts? Name a type of reading activity that incorporates all four

language skills.

Time for Reflection and Discussion

5 minutes