CONTRIBUTORS


Why reading matters, and how to embed a reading culture in your school


This month, regular Education Today contributor FELICIA JACKSON, chair of the Learn2Think Foundation, reflects on the importance of reading in schools.


Last month I was lucky enough to attend the Guardian Education Centre’s secondary school conference, Reading for Pleasure


(https://www.theguardian.com/gnmeducationcentre). Not only was it a fascinating day with great presentations from authors, teachers and other experts, but it gave me new insight into how a love of reading can be embedded within schools. It’s a given that literacy is vital, and that children receive a host of educational, cognitive, neurological, psychological, and emotional benefits from reading, benefits that can continue to have an impact throughout their lives. Reading together helps parents and children bond; it helps to improve concentration and discipline; it builds new pathways in the brain; it gives children the building blocks of language enabling them to communicate more effectively; reading can increase empathy (in adults as well as children); and, of course, it encourages creativity.


At Learn2Think, our focus is on developing critical thinking skills and reading is a key way to help develop these skills. Reading to children and asking them open- ended questions, engaging the child in the story can make them smarter – or at least increase their IQ (according to a 2013 study from the journal Perspective on Psychological Science).


Perhaps the thing that stood out most in terms of the obvious impact of reading were some figures from a presentation by Mark Warner, deputy headmaster of Patcham High School in Hove*.


Student A reads 20 mins a day


3600 mins in a school year


1,800,000 words


Student B reads 5 mins a day


900 mins in a school year


282,000 words


Student C reads 1 min a day


180 mins in a school year


8,000 words


There seems little question which child will have the greatest advantage over the longer term.


Of course the real challenge is how to embed a reading culture in school, where so many other priorities vie for attention. Mark Warner shared how Patcham High School has addressed this question, in a manner which has achieved both local and national acclaim.


The school introduced a new compulsory element to its curriculum, DEAR. Every day at 11.10am, the entire school - including all staff - “Drops Everything and Reads for 15 minutes”. Mark says, “The power of reading is that it increases vocabulary and exposure to ideas. It enables us to teach children how to behave like a reader, how the library works and how to talk about books and authors. You get students tapping into a virtuous circle of positive reinforcement.”


By implementing the DEAR programme, the school gave its pupils time and space where reading is not just encouraged, but expected.


The school also runs the Accelerated Reader programme, which helps teachers manage and monitor children’s independent reading practice. That may well be what enabled the school to improve its Ofsted rating.


In fact, the school’s report said, “All school staff are involved in modelling the ‘Drop Everything and Read’ sessions which have provided so successful in raising student’s literacy awareness and achievement.” Patcham High is providing a practical model that any school can follow if it has the will and the leadership to make it happen.


*Nagy, W., Anderson, R. C., & Herman, P. A. (1987). Learning word meanings from context during normal reading. American Educational Research Journal, 24, 237-270.


12 www.education-today.co.uk


Biology for less


This month, regular Education Today contributor KIRSTY BERTENSHAW continues her series on doing science for less in the classroom with a selection of great ideas for biology teachers.


Biology can often be taught just as a theory subject, due to a lack of funds. Here are a few ways to spend less while still demonstrating biological skills.


A pluck can be quite expensive, and videos can show inside lungs but not give the learners an understanding of the 3D shape and structure. Instead, cutting a cauliflower in half and holding it upside down can show how the trachea splits into bronchi, then bronchioles, down to the buds of the cauliflower representing alveoli. A sponge can model the texture of the lungs, as it can be squeezed, with the holes representing the alveoli.


Sometimes, it is cheaper to buy organs from supermarkets - hearts can be purchased from most supermarket butchers if you let them know in advance so they can order in enough for you.


It’s usually not possible to purchase whole digestive systems. As an alternative, the stages of the digestive system can be modelled using standard lab equipment and an old pair of tights. The act of biting and chewing food can be demonstrated with a pestle and mortar, grinding food up. Liquids can be added representing saliva and enzymes. Churning it in a zip-lock bag parallels the action of the stomach. An old pair of tights represents the intestines - squeezing out the liquid is like the action of the large intestine. I recommend using brown foods for the “yuk factor” with a class!


Microscopes are usually in various states of disrepair in schools, with not enough for whole classes to use at the same time. Cheaper microscopes are available for home use, still with a useful magnification. For example, a good brand of pocket microscopes purchased online can magnify up to 120 times and runs on AA batteries.


DNA can be easily extracted in any classroom using a fruit such as a Kiwi. Try discount supermarkets or end of day market stalls for a good price. Instead of adding ethanol, add surgical spirit, available cheaply as a first aid treatment and less likely to be sampled by learners as it has a medicinal smell. Plants feature in both the primary and secondary curriculum. A simple biosphere can be made using empty glass jars. Pour a thick layer of potting compost into the bottom of the jar and then you can plant seeds and water. Keep a jar sealed to prove that plants need carbon dioxide. Or keep a jar dry to prove that water is required. When the seeds grow, acidic water can be added to show the effect of acid rain. A jar can be kept in a dark cupboard to show the effect of a lack of sunlight. Classification using keys is a straightforward topic area giving an excuse for outside learning. Take your class on a walk around the school grounds and pick leaves from bushes and trees. Once the leaves have been identified using books or the internet, learners can construct a branching key or statement key. If the keys are good, photographs can be used as classification guides for future classes. Alternatively, a teacher can prepare these in advance instead of using expensive classification guides, and learners can practise identifying the plants around the school.


May 2017


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