Initial identification – How do we identify reading competency?
In Year 7 all students do LUCID Exact. This gives us an indicator of reading level, comprehension skills, spelling and handwriting speed. Reading ages are shared with all staff. These are considered when planning learning activities for students.
We also gather information from Primary Schools to ensure that we are aware of the students who they feel will need further intervention.
How do we support students who are not meeting age expectations?
Students identified as reading two or more years below their chronological age will take part in Dyslexia Gold to support their reading. A small number of students will also do a 1 to 1 Reading intervention.
A number of year 7 students (identified by English dept.) are provided with a SPaG Monster log in. This is an online programme offering support for spelling, punctuation and grammar. Parents and carers are informed to support from home.
Development of Reading across the Curriculum
- An integral part of lesson planning to provide opportunities for reading to take place.
- All Departments have identified how they will promote and develop reading within their subject.
| Subject | Strategies to support reading (KS3?/KS4?) | Strategies to develop a love of reading (KS3?/KS4?) |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | Focus on key mathematical vocabulary and definitions throughout KS3 and KS4 within lessons, including the importance of command words. | |
| English | Modelling expert reading aloud. Rewordify.com to develop vocabulary banks and definitions. Word banks. Reading toolkits to record ideas. Key vocabulary highlighted in schemes of learning and on cover sheets in studentsā exercise books. | Yr7 fortnightly library lessons. Modelling expert reading aloud. Wider reading available within classrooms. Displays including Bookflix display in A6 Starbooks loyalty cards. Readathon and Scholastic book fairs. |
| Science | Modelling expert reading aloud. Rewordify.com to develop vocabulary banks and definitions. Word banks. Reading toolkits to record ideas. Key vocabulary highlighted in schemes of learning and on cover sheets in studentsā exercise books. | Wider reading available in classrooms. |
| Geography | Lesson keywords are identified either on powerpoints or often separately on the smaller whiteboard. Read and Race games at KS3 - to get pupils to find quiz answers in text. Specific reading activities in the KS3 curriculum to include lesson activities to support reading for meaning and also research-based homework where suitable sources to read will be suggested to pupils. | Wider reading suggestions posted on GCSE google classrooms. Developing a geography wider reading area. |
| History | Reading sources together to investigate inference, utility and context. Developing research skills through reading. | Recommendations for historical fiction to support topics |
| MFL | Reading together out loud or in pairs/ small groups + sounding out new words and tricky words. Chunking/ breaking down texts. Scanning + reading for gist. Use of vocabulary book / vocab sheet to support new words. Using colours to identify new vocabulary/ cognates/ know vocabulary. Use of pictures to match up key words. Creating summaries | Mini readers / Little Men books in French. |
| R.E. | Modelling of good reading with opportunities for students to take the lead when they want. Key word retrieval tasks. Command words regularly explored and unpicked before questions are set. Different reading strategies used in lessons (e.g. group skim reading with highlighting and symbols to pull out most important concepts / reading followed by paired comparison of most important concepts / competitions in groups to read pieces of text, memorise core ideas and explain to other pupils etc.) Analysis of Biblical quotes and stories. | Trial of āreading weekā with some classes - fairly unsuccessful as a method of inspiring passion. Currently trialling weekly set reading tasks on Google Classroom for KS3 with a broader theme of philosophy as an area of investigation to try to inspire students to think more deeply and more broadly. Wider reading available in classroom |
| Drama | Scripted texts used across several units within Schemes of Work throughout KS3. Grimm's Fairy Tales, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Carrie's War, A Christmas Carol, A Midsummer night's dream, Romeo and Juliet, Blood Brothers. All studied throughout KS3. Pantomime unit studied in Year 8 work clear links to Children's Literature. Whole Group play readings in KS4, and characters built from characters in literature in workshops. | Homework tasks set to create characters based on their favourite characters from Children's Literature. Play texts made available. Scripted plays offered for enjoyment. Plays produced in Extra Curricular sessions. |
| Computer Science/IT | Reading and answering questions from the board/books, then breaking these down into command words etc. Encouraging the use of key vocab in work to demonstrate comprehension. Research tasks set for homework including explaining key terms or writing about careers/key figures in Computing | Recommendations for wider reading, exploring the history or theories of computing. CS4Fun magazine given to students to read outside of the lesson. Links to be put on the google classroom to websites etc to explore topics further. |
| Art | Keywords are used each lesson, word definitions discussed/clarified. Some information using skimming referring to influences of artists. Keyword hangman used at end of some Year 7 lessons | Wider reading encouraged through access to a large amount of art books within the classroom |
| DT | Fleish Reading age checks on written instructions. Chunk instructions and use images to support understanding. | Reading suggestions - wow read of the week and back issues. Reading library in DT A24 of DT books. |
| FT | Fleish Reading age checks on written instructions. Chunk instructions and use images to support understanding. Instructions on PP only the ones currently needed in the task- supported by printed versions to help students go faster or slower. | Reading area in FT room with magazines on food for kids to borrow or even just take as suggestions. Recipe book library. |
| Music | When reading in class. Read information together, with volunteers or teacher reading aloud. Define new terms. | Reference books about music in the department for further reading. |
| PE | PE Sporting article on display in Sports Hall area for pupils to read, article content is on a topical event taken from BBC sport. Sport specific vocabulary used and explained to allow pupils to access technical text relating to the specified sport. Links to contemporary issues in sport, from BBC sport, shared through each year groups Google Noticeboard. GCSE pupils are advised to download the BBC sport app and read articles on a regular basis linked to sports they enjoy and topics covered in lessons. | Links to contemporary issues in sport, from BBC sport, shared through each year groups Google Noticeboard. GCSE pupils are advised to download the BBC sport app and read articles on a regular basis linked to sports they enjoy and topics covered in lessons. |
| Travel and Tourism | Development of key terms. Students are encouraged to read holiday reviews on trip advisor, Students encouraged to read travel reviews, Visit England and other tourism websites, Regular news articles given out. | Travel brochures and travel guides in the Travel and Tourism room. Quirky interesting articles shared with students |
Our Reading for Pleasure Strategy
Reading for Pleasure Strategy – with a key focus on retaining enthusiasm across the Key Stages
Other strategies
Across each year group, each form group have one tutor time per week where they are engaged in reading.
Phonics
Staff have had CPD on phonics so that they are aware of how students are taught to read at primary school in order to identify how we can support students further to develop their reading and their fluency.