Understanding and Supporting Foundational Literacy

Understanding and Supporting

Foundational Literacy

Square Pegs, Round Holes

© Matt Grant, 2012

www.HumansNotRobots.co.uk

Aoccdrnig to rseearch, for msot aultds it deosn't mttaer in

waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng

is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset

can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a

porbelm.

Tihs is bcuseae ocne the huamn barin has aceuriqd

futincnoal lctreaiy slikls, it deos not need to prcoses ervey

lteter setp by setp. Isntaed it has larent to aatoumtalicly

(wrkonig at an approxilmate speed of svetney to one

hudrend and ftfiy mlies per huor) tkae the satrntig and

eidnng ptnois, raceh itno its mmeroy and slecet the bset fit

acicnrrodg to waht the rset of the txet syas or any oethr

ifatnoimon aalvilbae.

Tihs deos not hpapen ntarually but ocne the barin has been

tughat how to do this, it bcemoes fere to fcuos on oethr

tihgns.

Ptrety dman cool eh?

According to research, for most adults it doesn't matter in

what order the letters in a word are, the only important thing

is that the first and last letter be at the right place. The rest

can be a total mess and you can still read it without a

problem.

This is because once the human brain has acquired

functional literacy skills, it does not need to process every

letter step by step. Instead it has learnt to automatically

(working at an approximate speed of seventy to one

hundred and fifty miles per hour) take the starting and

ending points, reach into its memory and select the best fit

according to what the rest of the text says or any other

information available.

This does not happen naturally but once the brain has been

taught how to do this, it becomes free to focus on other

things.

Pretty damn cool eh?

This does not happen naturally but once the brain has been taught how to do this, it

becomes free to focus on other things. W

ork

ing

in

Un

iso

n…

…w

ith A

uto

ma

ticity

This does not happen naturally but once the brain has been taught how to do this, it

becomes free to focus on other things.

But what if it hasn’t?

1. How can we find out?

2. And what can we do about it?

This does not happen naturally but once the brain has

been taught how to do this, it becomes free to focus on

other things.

•There will be a proportion of students in our school who have not had

enough quantity (or quality?) of teaching to reach this point.

They will need help to catch up.

•Based on national averages, there is likely to be 10 – 15% of students in our

school who are likely to have an inherent difficulty with reading and

writing, no matter how much we teach them.

They need a different approach.

Neuro-typical = Nurture Dyslexic-type = Nature

So how can we find out?

• Observation of progress and behaviour in your lesson

•Check their English NC Levels

- Level 3 in English possible problems

- Level 2 or below in English definite problems!

+

• Check their Verbal CATs Score

85 or below possible problems

70 or below in English definite problems!

+

• Standardised Testing

Literacy Screening Diagnostic Assessment

A non-technical layperson’s introduction to

Standardised Testing…

Standardised Testing

Any test gives a "raw score."

Standardised Tests are

structured tests of varied skills

that allow conversion of the raw

score into a Standard Scores.

Standardised Tests are trialled

on a representative sample of

the population with the scores

then formulated using a bell

chart - with a mean (i.e.

‘average’) established along

with other common practice

categories.

This allows comparison of

individual scores with the

population – and comparison

between various Standardised

Tests to build or an educational

and/or psychological profile of

a learner.

% Population

Standardised Score

• CATs

•Graded Word

Spelling Test

• Edinburgh

Reading Test 3 & 4

•Lucid LASS (Rapid)

• British Picture

Vocabulary Scale

• Wide-Ranging

Achievement Test 4

• Comprehensive

Test of Phonological

Processing

• Detailed

Assessment of

Speed of

Handwriting

indicative

diagnostic

Age Equivalent Scores

Scores can also be statistically converted to show the typical age of the norm group that obtained a similar

score. Age Equivalent Scores enable comparison and are commonly used identifiers on reading and

spelling programmes. Age Equivalent Scores have limitations due to diversity of ability / performance within

the age range. They can also stigmatise students if not used sensitively.

Cue the Literacy Tracker…

Secure Shared → Learning Support Team (CGS) →

2. Additional Needs Register and Monitoring Lists → Literacy Tracker

10:06+

‘functional readers’

Students working at 10:06+ in their reading are generally viewed as ‘functional readers’. They will typically be able to read fluently, decoding new words with ease and

quickly understanding their meaning with teaching. They will be able to access most secondary school text books However, they will continue to require practise and enrichment in the classroom – with a focus on inference, deduction and other more analytical skills.

9:06 → 10:06 ‘slightly

below average’ ‘moving towards

functionality’

Students are ‘moving towards functionality’ and should do so without specialist intervention. With concentration, they will able to decode and understand high-frequency /

common words in a sustained way, with relative ease. They may require occasional support in the classroom with reading subject-specific texts in the form of adapted texts, active teaching of new / unfamiliar vocabulary, encouragement etc. However, they will require continued practise of reading on a daily basis in the classroom, at home or during other social times.

8:00 → 9:06 ‘slightly below

average’ ‘breakthroug

h stage’

Students are ‘moving towards functionality’ but require further teaching of reading. With concentration, they will able to decode and understand high-frequency / common words. They may tire easily and be unable to sustain performance. They will often ‘surface level read’ – decoding but not comprehending. They will require continuous support in the classroom with reading subject-specific texts in the form of adapted texts, active teaching of new / unfamiliar

vocabulary, encouragement etc. However, they will require continued practise of reading on a daily basis delivered through a ‘catch up’ scheme of work / intervention.

What does a reading age indicate?

7:00 → 8:00 ‘well below

average’ ‘limited

functionality’

Students have foundational gaps in their reading skills that will require intervention in the form of reading programmes. Reading of typical secondary texts will be laboured, hesitant and tiring. Reading will be stressful. With encouragement and non-critical / supportive prompting, they will be able to decode most monosyllabic and some polysyllabic high-frequency /

common words. They will often be reliant on ‘sight vocabulary’ – by this we mean familiarity with how a word looks (shape, starting sound) rather than familiarity with patterns / decoding skills. They will sometimes miscue words – seeing the starting sound and shape then jumping for a best guess. i.e. “shrimp” may be read as “ship”.

They will struggle to read and retain subject-specific vocabulary even with active teaching.

6:11 and below

‘building blocks stage’ ‘no functionality in reading’

Students will have large foundational gaps, generally at this age (11+) due to a specific learning difficulty – usually identified but sometimes not. They will require intervention from specialist programmes that ‘re-teach’ skills through a different approach to those tried previously.

Reading of standard secondary texts will be almost impossible. Reading skills are often limited to CVCs. Some vowel and consonant blends will be known – often through a reliance on ‘sight vocabulary’ rather than transferable understanding of how letters can blend to make new sounds. Other underlying issues may be present such as inconsistent knowledge of

the alphabet, limited rhyming skills, limited sequencing skills, poor working memory, speech and language needs etc.

The Zahir

Her name is Esther; she is a war correspondent who has just returned from Iraq because of the

imminent invasion of that country; she is thirty years old, married, without children. He is an unidentified male, between twenty-three and twenty-five years old, with dark, Mongolian features. The two were last seen in a café in Rue Faubourg St-Honoré.

The police were told that they had met before, although no one knew how often: Esther had always said that the man – who concealed his true identity behind the name Mikhail – was someone very

important, although she had never explained whether he was important for her career as a journalist or for her as a woman.

The police began a formal investigation. Various theories were put forward – kidnapping, blackmail, a kidnapping that had ended in murder – none of which were beyond the bounds of possibility given that, in her search for information, her work brought her into frequent contact with people who had links with terrorist cells. They discovered that, in the weeks prior to her

disappearance, regular sums of money had been withdrawn from her bank account: those in charge of the investigation felt that these could have been payments made for information. She had taken no change of clothes with her, but, oddly enough, her passport was nowhere to be found. He is a stranger, very young, with no police record, with

no clue as to his identity. She is Esther, thirty years old, the winner of two international

prizes for journalism, and married. My wife.

SMOG Grade: 10

Age Equivalent Estimate: 15years

The Zahir

Her name is Esther; she is a war tropponlamp who has just returned from

Iraq because of the lohopulent invasion of that country; she is thirty years

old, married, without children. He is an unidentified male, between

twenty-three and twenty-five years old, with dark, Uzoxion features. The

two were last seen in a café in Rue Faubourg St-Honoré.

The police were told that they had met before, although no one knew how

often: Esther had always said that the man – who concealed his true

identity behind the name Mikhail – was someone very important,

although she had never explained whether he was important for her career

as a journalist or for her as a woman.

The police began a formal investigation. Various theories were put

forward – kidnapping, blackmail, a kidnapping that had ended in murder

– none of which were beyond the bounds of possibility given that, in her

search for information, her work brought her into frequent contact with

people who had links with terrorist cells. They discovered that, in the

weeks topeer to her disappearance, regular sums of money had been

withdrawn from her bank account: those in charge of the investigation

felt that these could have been payments made for information. She had

taken no change of clothes with her, but, oddly enough, her passport was

nowhere to be found.

He is a stranger, very young, with no police record, with

no clue as to his identity.

She is Esther, thirty years old, the winner of two international

prizes for journalism, and married.

My wife.

10:06+

The Zahir

Her name is Esther; she is a war kompertuss who has just returned

from Iraq because of the imminent invasion of that country; she is

thirty years old, married, without children. He is an inudtenplor male, between

twenty-three and twenty-five years old, with dark, gronkepteel features. The two were last seen in a café in

Rue Faubourg St-Honoré.

The police were told that they had met before, although no one knew

how often: Esther had always said that the man – who treptolinked

his true identity behind the name Mikhail – was someone very important, although she

had never explained whether he was important for her career as a journalist or for her as a woman.


forward – kidnapping, blackmail, a kidnapping that had ended in

murder – none of which were beyond the bounds of jolasillity given that, in her search for information,

her work brought her into relokept contact with people who had links with terrorist cells. They discovered

that, in the weeks afbetter her disease, regular sums of money had been withdrawn from her bank account:

those in change of the investigation felt that these could have been payments made for instruction. She had

taken no change of clothes with her, but, oddly enough, her passport was nowhere to be found.



She is Esther, thirty years old, the winner of two intermediate

prizes for journeyism, and married.

My wife.

8:00 – 9:06

The Zahir

Her name is Esther; she is a was correspondent who has just

returned from Iraq because of the imminent invasion of that county;

she is thirty years old, married, withold children. He is an

unidentified male, between twenty-three and twenty-five yours old,

with dark, Mongolian features. The two where last seen in a café in

Rue Faubourg St-Honoré.

The police where told that they had met before, although no one knew how

other: Esther had always said that the man – who concealed his true identity

before the name Mikhail – was something very important, although she had

nearlyexplained whether he was important for her career as a journalist or for

her as a women.

The police began a formal investigation. Various theories where put forward – kidnapping, blackmail, a

kidnapping than had ended in murder – none off which where beyond the bounds of possibility given that, in

her search for information, her work brought her into frequent contact with people who had links with terrorist

cells. They discovered that, in the weeks prior to her disappearance, regular sums of money had been

withdrawn from her bank account: those in charge of the investigation felt that these could have been payments

made for information. She had taste no change off clothes with her, but, oddly enough, her passport was

nowhere to be found.



She is Esther, thirty years old, the winter of two international


My wife.

7:00 – 8:00

The Zahir

Her name is Esther; she is a war correspondent who his just returned

from Iraq because of the imminent invasion of that country; she is

thirty years old, married, without children. Be is an unidentified

male, between twenty-three and twenty-five years old, with dark,

Mongolian features. The two were last seen in a café in Rue

Faubourg St-Honoré.

The police were told than they had met before, although no one knew

how often: Esther had always said that the man – who concealed has

true identity behind the name Mikhail – was someone very

important, although she had never explained whether he was

important for her career as a journalist or for her as a woman.

Esther, thirty years old


forward – kidnapping, blackmail, a kidnapping that had ended in

murder – none of which were beyond the bounds of possibility given

that, in her search for information, her work brought her into

frequent contact with people who hab links with terrorist cells. They

discovered that, in the weeks prior to her disappearance, regular

sums of money had been withdrawn from her bank account: those in

charge of the investigation felt that these could have been payments

made for information. She had taken no change of clothes with her,

but, oddly enough, her passport was nowhere to be found.



She is, the winner of two international


Wy wife.

Below 6:11

10:06+

‘functional

spellers’

Students working at 10:06+ in their spelling are generally viewed as ‘functional spellers’.

They will be able to consistently spell high-frequency / common words with automaticity.

They will be able to spell unfamiliar polysyllabic words with regular patterns.

With encouragement, they will attempt to use more adventurous choices of words that they

don’t necessarily know the spelling of.

However, they will continue to require some input – especially on subject-specific words with

irregular spelling patterns.

They will also continue to require input on constructing sentences / writing organisation.

9:00 →10:06

‘slightly below

average’

‘moving

towards

functionality’

Students are ‘moving towards functionality’ and should do so without specialist intervention.

They will be able to spell common words with occasional reminders on ‘peculiarities’ such as

homophones, silent letters etc.

They will be able to spell familiar polysyllabic words with regular patterns.

They will require support in the classroom with spelling subject-specific words in the form of key

word lists.

They will continue to require periodic input / consolidation on spelling patterns and strategies

– possibly through starter activities.

8:00 → 9:00

‘slightly below

average’

‘breakthrough

stage’

Students are at a ‘breakthrough stage’, competent in sounding out words and familiar with

some frequently-used patterns, but ultimately limited in their range of skills.

They will be able to spell many simple, monosyllabic words and some high-frequency /

common polysyllabic words.

They will be able to make phonetically-plausible attempts at unfamiliar polysyllabic words

spelt incorrectly. Their weakness will emerge with ‘peculiarities’, exceptions, prefixes, suffixes

etc.

They will require support in the classroom with word lists covering more complex high-

frequency / common words and subject-specific words.

They will continue to require weekly input on spelling patterns and strategies – through whole-

group spelling sessions and intervention programmes.

What does a spelling age indicate?

7:00 → 8:00 ‘well below average’

‘limited functionality

’

Students have foundational gaps in their spelling skills that will require sustained teaching in the form of phonetics / spelling programmes. They will be able to spell some simple, monosyllabic words with phonetically plausible attempts at those spelt incorrectly. A small proportion of high-frequency polysyllabic words will be spelt correctly with reminders from the teacher.

They may sometimes attempt to spell unfamiliar words but will typically be dependent on the teacher for spellings. They will require support in the classroom with word lists covering more complex high-frequency / common words and subject-specific words. They will continue to require weekly input on spelling patterns and strategies – through whole-group spelling sessions and intervention programmes.

6:11 and below ‘building

blocks stage’ ‘no functionality in spelling’

Students will have large foundational gaps, generally at this age (11+) due to a specific learning difficulty – usually identified but sometimes not. They will require intervention from specialist programmes that ‘re-teach’ skills through a different approach to those tried previously. They will have basic awareness of phonic strategies for spelling. They will rely on a mix of phonic strategies and sight vocabulary to spell some high-

frequency / common monosyllabic words. Their written vocabulary will be limited. They often have a higher spoken vocabulary. They may scribe / copy written work well which in turn disguises their difficulties. Other underlying issues may be present such as inconsistent knowledge of the

alphabet, limited rhyming skills, limited sequencing skills, poor working memory, speech and language needs etc.

100 most used words – 50% of written material

the of and a to in is you that It

he was for on are as with his they I

at be this have from or one had by word

but not what all were we when your can said

there use an each which she do how their if

will up other about out many then them these so

some her would make like him into time has look

two more write go see number no way could people

my than first water been call who oil its now

find long down day did get come made may part





















9:0

0 –

10

:06

+

8:0

0 –

9:0

0

6:1

1 –

8:0

0

Related issues indicated by spelling scores:

9:00 - 10:06+

• Structuring extended writing – paragraphing

• Using commas, exclamation marks, apostrophes, speech marks

•Use of adverbs, full range of connectives

•Knowledge and experience of text types

8:00 – 9:00

•Consistent basic punctuation – capital letters, full stops, question marks

•Use of connectives other than ’and’ & ‘then’

•Use of non-typical adjectives and verbs

•Handwriting difficulties

6:11 – 8:00

•Basic knowledge of punctuation to start and end sentence – but little use

•Adopts a ‘hide and scribe’ or ‘fight and flight’ approach with literacy tasks

•Handwriting difficulties

So what can we all do about it?

Keep CARPin’ on at em!

1. Always check the content and amount you are asking 2a and 2b sets to read and write – is it distracting from learning and engagement with your subject?

2. Build in alternatives to writing in your schemes – mind-mapping, flow diagrams, storyboards, speaking & listening, role-play.

3. Don’t shy away from reading and writing, instead build in routines:

- Coach students in line-tracking and numbering paragraphs.

- Ask students to flag up ‘tricky’ words.

- Encourage reading aloud by promoting peer support and modelling support yourself.

- Develop a cueing system when a word is too difficult.

- Model an example of a text before you ask them to write one themselves.

- Provide sentence openers and connecting words.

- Provide subject-specific vocabulary.

4. Whenever students read or write, offer lots of specific praise!

• Below Average Spelling → Supportive Classrooms Booklet 1

- Pages 12 - 17

• Vocabulary → Supportive Classrooms Booklet 1 - Page 20

• Secured Shared → Learning Support Team (CGS) → 20. Resources - Strategy Banks

• Secure Shared → Learning Support Team (CGS) → 3. IEPs

• Below Average Reading → Supportive Classrooms Booklet 1

- Pages 21 - 24

+

So what more can we do about it?

Case Studies:

What do the scores indicate?

V Q NV RA -

Sept10

SA –

Sept 10

RA –

Apr 11

SA –

Apr 11

8K Connor 84 83 87 8.02 8.02 9.02 9.01

8K Mason 85 86 87 6.11 7.07 9.07 7.11

8D Kieran 74 81 93 7.10 6.04 8.01 6.05

8O Oliver 72 80 104 7.10 7.05 9.00 8.00

8A Arron 59 74 72 5.07 6.04 5.09 6.05

8S Leah 79 78 76 8.05 7.11 9.07 8.07

8S Mike 70 78 80 8.05 7.03 9.00 7.04

8T Rebecca B. 108 86 112 10.06 8.11

How can we respond?

Copyright , Matt Grant, 2012

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If you believe I have infringed copyright, please contact me via the above website and I will promptly credit , amend or remove the material in question.

For further resources or to contact the author, please visit:

www.HumansNotRobots.co.uk

http://www.spldsupport.co.uk/

Education

Understanding and Supporting Foundational Literacy