Literacy

and the

Reading Experience

in Gullane Primary School

March 2013

Parent Leaflet

Literacy and the Reading Experience in Gullane Primary School

In a recent Parent Carer Council Meeting we held a discussion on the reading

experience in our school. This came up as a result of some comments shared between

parents out of school or in the playground.

Comments such as:

A smaller group of parents met in school to talk through some of these comments and

we agreed it may be useful to discuss/answer the comments as a set of ‘FAQs’ –

frequently asked questions. These appear towards the end of this booklet.

The main focus of the comments was about the apparent pace and level of challenge.

It was also felt that it may be useful to set this leaflet within a context of what has

happened previously.

Reading is key to learning. Accessing and understanding text in its various forms are

important skills. These skills take time to build and develop.

A variety of assessment strategies are employed in order to plan for learning.

Assessments used are:

diagnostic – where the results give guidance on next steps for pupils

standardised – where the results show where pupils in one school are in relation

to the whole of Scotland

formative – where staff keep details on skills across a range of subjects and

guide next steps in learning and teaching

We don’t bother much

about the school books

because they are too

easy!

My other children

were much further

on at the same

age but their

capabilities are

similar...

What my child is reading

at school does not

match what they are

capable of reading at

home...

"my child can read the

school books fluently, with

expression and he/she

understands what they are

reading so why are they not

being more challenged","

My child says

here’s another

book with all the

same words as

before...

Other schools seem to

take a different

approach to

reading...

East Lothian Council ask that each school carry out PIPS assessments in P1, 3, 5 and

7. PIPS stands for Performance in Primary Schools and is a set of standardised

assessments set by Durham University. The assessments are carried out in school and

are marked by Durham University. This has been a feature in East Lothian primary

schools for about 6 years now.

We use a standardised spelling assessment in each stage from P3-7. A standardised

assessment in reading and maths was introduced in session 2011-2012 to allow us to

gather more information on progress. This will be used again and we will review how

and if this is useful for us.

Using the results of these assessments we found that although pupils made sound

progress at an early age the level of attainment and skill ‘tapered’ away by the middle

of the school. Pupils were able to ‘read’ fairly challenging texts but understanding was

limited. In other words the pupils were very good decoders but the understanding

was superficial. There are ‘weak’ comprehenders and ‘strong’ comprehenders and they

read in different ways. ‘Weak’ comprehenders are focusing on decoding text.

(decoding is reading without understanding). ‘Strong’ comprehenders are able to

activate their background knowledge and build an understanding of the piece and able

to make inferences.

We have spent a good deal of time in past years examining research into the

development of reading from the pre reader to the accomplished and skilled reader.

We have based our approaches on the research. The research has been taken from

recognised and approved sources. This research has shown us that children make

more sound and sustained progress if they are given depth and breadth in reading. It

is important that children are functionally literate.

Research indicates that the skills that contribute most to children’s success in

becoming literate are:

Communication - Mastery of key knowledge and skills and how fluently and

automatically they are applied. Reads a wide range of text confidently

Reads aloud with accuracy, assurance and fluency

Identifies key ideas in independent reading – concepts, plots, characters, causes & can

infer, summarise, apply, evaluate & analyse

Is confident to navigate through different kinds of text (including multi-modal and digital

texts), using organisational structures and retrieval devices to locate information

Has developed strategies for understanding the meaning of unfamiliar words

Is confident to initiate and sustain discussion about specific books with adults and peers

in an informed and reasoned way

Engagement and creativity - Willingness to engage wholeheartedly in formal and

informal literacy opportunities, and does so frequently; displays enjoyment, a ‘have a

go’ attitude, persistence and ability to link and draw on different areas of

experience; enjoys talking about literacy endeavours. Can engage in sustained reading for a reasonable length of time (30 mins)

Can engage with a range of fiction genre and with a variety of non-fiction texts

Engages with ideas in texts imaginatively, and can discuss concepts, plots, characters,

causes and consequences that arise in independent reading

Speculates about characters and outcomes

Is taking control of own reading – what, when and how to read

Identity, Reflection and Confidence -View of self as a literate person; aspirations;

confidence; personal/social networks; willingness to review and explain work. Has developed preferences in reading and uses social networks to feed and extend these.

Regards him/herself as a competent reader

Monitors comprehension in independent reading

Reflects purposefully on reading, testing what has been read against other information,

ideas, assumptions, and viewpoints

The research indicated above mainly relates to pupils in P5-7 but the journey starts

at home with you and travels all the way through nursery and into early years and

beyond.

We spent time examining the level of skill in spelling, handwriting, research reading

and use of non-fiction, story writing, writing of factual reports, writing of personal

reflections, vocabulary knowledge, grammar, punctuation… – in other words, the full

range of skills and competencies.

We decided that, in order to address all of the key elements in the literacy

outcomes, we are required to give the pupils more depth and challenge within the

literacy agenda. To this end we revised the learning and teaching in the area of

literacy. The new P1 intake parents have been given clear information on our plans and

there is a hand out which supports this- start of sessions 2011 and 2012- also this

current session. A copy of this is available on request.

Question: What is the purpose of my child's school reading book?

The reading books that come home with your child provide a link between home and

school. The work in class is often linked to the familiarity of this book and is used as

a ‘springboard’ to develop and teach skills e.g. spelling, grammar, punctuation,

comprehension, handwriting, vocabulary knowledge, common and tricky words and so

on. Reading books are one of a range of tools employed to teach some of the complex

reading skills. It is helpful if your child practises reading the school book with you at

home. The school texts are set within a wider range of reading material that is used

in school.

Question: Which reading scheme does Gullane PS use?

The key scheme that we work within is called Oxford Reading Tree. The scheme

offers a core ‘trunk’ of reading material and ‘branches’ to ensure depth, breadth and

exposure to a range of texts and styles (genres). We use other materials in addition

to the main ‘scheme’ to support and develop reading skills. As the children move on

through school there is a wide range of varied texts used in order to develop their

reading skills. The texts are age/content appropriate.

A reading scheme will not be able to address all of the areas we are required to cover

and develop but it does offer some structure and it is a recognised and widely used

scheme.

Question: What is the structure of the reading scheme?

The Oxford Reading Tree scheme is structured to ensure that we are able to

offer/cover the skills that a reader requires to be taught at key stages. These skills

are outlined in an earlier paragraph. A booklet will be provided on request or see

school website for further information.

Question: Does Gullane Primary take a different approach to reading

compared to other schools?

Gullane Primary structures reading very much the same as other schools and we

follow national and local guidance.

Question: What if I feel that my child is not being challenged by the

content of the school texts?

The purpose of the school text is not just about your child being able to read the

words but also to ensure that your child has a sound understanding of the content

and develop fluency, expression, spelling and grammar. It may be worth considering a

variety of extension activities rather than just ’reading’ the text. It may be

appropriate that a reading book is used to encourage practise of a specific skill e.g.

reading with expression/fluency/accuracy, extend the story with your child e.g.

prediction, change the outcome, focus on learning specific key words.

If you wish further explanation or guidance you should discuss the matter with your

child's teacher.

If your child is an interested reader at home and is reading other texts that have a

more challenging content then that is to be encouraged. A love and enjoyment of

reading is what we aim for.

Why do the books appear to repetitive in terms of language?

The books do repeat language, particularly in the early years, to consolidate learning.

How are reading groups arranged - is it by age or ability?

There are a wide variety of ways to manage learning in a class. It may be mixed

ability, similar ability, focus, interest or any number of other reasons.

Do teachers try to keep children at ‘certain’ levels to manage the

whole class more easily?”

No.

My child can now read – should I stop reading aloud to him/her?

Reading aloud to children is one of the best ways to help them discover the joy of

reading. All children, even teenagers, benefit from listening to you reading aloud. By

reading aloud with your child you are helping him/her to become better readers and

better listeners. You are also helping to build vocabulary and language skills.

Supporting your child at home

Occasionally, it may appear to parents that the texts we send home are not as

challenging as a child or a parent would like them to be. It may seem to some that the

texts are ‘too easy’. Please trust that we do challenge and develop the child’s abilities

using not only the reading book but a variety of other resources to develop security

in literacy.

There may be things parents would like to work on at home and are unsure about

appropriateness. If a parent is an interested and engaged participant in their child’s

reading then it is a win/win situation all round.

Please feel free to consider some of the following ideas to enhance and encourage

reading.

If a book is on a particular subject find another book on the same subject on a trip to

the library or bookshop, visit a museum, make a model, draw a detailed picture, make

a poster, add a ‘chapter’ to the story, find ‘tricky’ words in other texts or in the

general environment, ask ‘what if.. ‘ questions, write a review, retell the story in your

own words, turn part of the story into a newspaper report, develop a character

profile, alternative ending, use the characters in a story of your own, make a game

using key words…

Again, speaking to the child’s class teacher may offer parents some other ideas.

We hope that the information in this leaflet is useful and supportive.

GPS (MT/JD/KMcG) April 2013

Sources

Sue Ellis. B.A. (Honours) Class 1, Linguistics and Language Pathology, University of Essex

M.Sc. Human Communication (Medical Research Council funded), Guy's Hospital Medical

School, London

P.G.C.E. Primary/Middle School Education (3-14) years specialising in Literacy, Science and

Mathematics, University of Sussex

Curriculum for Excellence Scottish Government

Jolly Phonics

Oxford Reading Tree

Yellow Door

Durham University

GL Assessment