P6


 


Reading: pain or pleasure?


 


Reading is the single most important skill we need to take us through life, argues Beth Davies. It occupies centre stage in her school.


 


“ All that mankind has done, thought, gained or been; it is lying as in magic preservation in the pages of books.” Carlyle


Can you remember learning to read as a child? I don’t. Many adults I have spoken to say the same. When I speak with parents about helping their children to learn the skills of reading they often tell me they remember skills such as learning sounds, and famous reading schemes such as Janet and John, but little else. Yet reading is the single most important skill we need to take us successfully through life. Even as adults we are increasing our vocabulary daily and are still learning to read.


In Wales, the Welsh Assembly’s School Effectiveness Framework is clear about the prime target for its schools – a national literacy plan.


Reading is part of the holistic function of language and it is important to note that reading and writing are interlinked. Readers after all do not have to be convinced that language is a most important skill for human learning and communication. For the teacher the aim is teaching the skills of reading while making the action of reading a pleasurable experience.


Post-SATs Wales


The skills used in primary classrooms in Wales post-SATs are varied and address the notion that children need a ‘toolbox’ to enable them to become fluent readers. It is important to note that we still use miscue analysis and reading tests for diagnostic purposes, and to enable us to track progress through reading ages. The reading strategies we use are guided reading, phonics, better reading, rapid reading, use of reading schemes, shared reading, modelled reading, supported reading, independent reading and the Esteem project, which is a reading intervention programme.


Given that these are very important, we believe that developing reading into a pleasurable and exciting experience should be high on the agenda. We have planned activities this year which will focus on reading and writing through unusual and stimulating projects.


We have planned a Reading Week which will focus on reading and producing stories. The emphasis will be on the community. Year 6 children will write picture books for younger children and read them out loud; authors will come into school to tell and read stories; parents, governors, grandparents and members of the community will come to read their favourite stories.


Our main focus for the week is to encourage boys to read. We will emphasise good role modelling and invitations will be sent to local rugby and football players, for example, to come to school to read stories, to show boys that reading is ‘cool’.


We will be choosing Reading Heroes* in every class, giving certificates to children who have enthused others and been a good reading role model. In addition, our older boys will read to the younger boys. We will inundate our local library with visits from each year group to take part in storytelling sessions and to learn about the library facilities.


 


Continued on p 7





Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16