FEATURE: INNOVATVE TEACHING PRACTICES


a fluency of around 160 words per minute for children to successfully complete them. Importantly, a child who leaves primary school not fluent in reading and with a limited vocabulary will struggle to access the text-rich secondary school curriculum As children engage in different areas of the


curriculum, they also learn new words related to that topic. Even if these subjects are not formally tested at primary school, they still hold tremendous value in developing wider reading and comprehension skills that support those that are tested. There is strong evidence, of course, to link


reading for pleasure with improving reading, writing, comprehension and vocabulary. But as anyone who devours books knows, it also develops our understanding of human nature and other cultures, as well as our general knowledge. Pure enjoyment is surely the reason any of us


pick up a book and, like any skill, the more we practice, the more we improve. Whatever the genre, stories spark the imagination of children, inviting them to discover different worlds and characters, woven together with words. Without even thinking about it, they are building their vocabulary and language proficiency, and are often challenged to work out meanings of unfamiliar words based on existing knowledge.


Building blocks for learning The task for teachers is to grow a child’s vocabulary – from the 4,000 to 7,000 words expected in reception, to 15,000 to 20,000 by Year Six – in a way that helps them become fluent speakers, writers and listeners. Pupils with limited vocabulary tend to lack the


conversational words that link ideas and allow them to engage with classroom discussions, where sentence structures might be more complex than what they are used to. To reference the work of Isabel Beck et al., they need to develop the Tier 1 vocabulary (or common, conversational words) that allows them to understand how sentence structures work, such as using conjunctions like ‘because’ or ‘after’ to link ideas together. Rather than simply focusing on the tests themselves, and coaching children to read


snippets of text, we need to take the time to read quality literature every day. This might involve encouraging pupils to share a favourite book or talk about a topic that interests them. If we want to get words to ‘stick’ so that children can use them, with confidence, in their conversations and writing, we need to build on their interests and experiences. This is why I always encourage teachers to slow


down to allow pupils to understand and enjoy language. Seize this opportunity to explore how words are constructed from the root using prefixes and suffixes, their origins and how meanings have evolved over time. Only by lingering over words, and uncovering their nuances, can we instil a deep appreciation of English.


Word co-locations As tempting as it might be to spend time teaching synonyms, a better approach is to delve deeper into the multiple meanings behind one commonly-used word. Take ‘dark’ for instance – a fascinating and deceptively complex word that denotes the abstract concept of ‘an absence of light’. What makes ‘dark’ so interesting is that it has


many co-locations in sentences. Just consider its different, yet linked, meanings in the following examples: ‘the dark and stormy sky’, ‘dark and light’, ‘darkroom’ or ‘dark thoughts’. Choosing a mix of adjectives, verbs and nouns,


then relating them to experiences and actions pupils understand, is far more effective than dwelling too heavily on descriptive ‘wow’ words that are used less often in conversation. It is about bringing words to life and making


ideas more tangible; in the past, I have made a toy ‘appear’ and ‘disappear’ to demonstrate how something can be there one minute and not the next. Another good example is ‘dream’, which


though abstract, is a concept that even younger children can grasp. However, while many understand the notion of dreaming at night, they do not always know that someone can ‘dream’ during a daydream, or when thinking about their


September 2019


perfect holiday or planning their future job. Reading Oliver Jeffers’ book, How to Catch a


Star, to reception-age children once, I was reminded of why it is so important to assess children’s prior knowledge. The book’s illustrations show the little boy reaching for a star in the sky – but unless pupils know stars are far away in space, they could wonder why he cannot simply catch it from the ground.


Bringing words to life Once pupils develop literacy skills, it is tempting to ask them to read aloud or else leave them to do it independently. While both are clearly vital, I would suggest that parents and teachers continue reading books and poetry to the class every day, so children hear the words with expression to aid their comprehension, expose them to a rich vocabulary, and ignite their imagination Parents, in particular, should be encouraged to


spend time looking up words together and discussing what happens in the book to cement comprehension. Another creative approach – which is particularly helpful in schools where English might not be a first language at home – is to film teachers telling stories orally. When teachers are passionate about words and stories, it inspires children to seek out books for themselves.


Linking enjoyment and testing As I hope this article demonstrates, taking time to think beyond the test does not mean pupils will be inadequately prepared. Testing and a love of words are not mutually exclusive; indeed, one informs the other and reading together, as a class, ensures all pupils are continually exposed to a wealth of new words. It is a way of including every child in high-level conversations about reading so every child has the same access to that language and level of thinking. Every effort should be made to allow children


to discover beautiful books and inspire a love of words and stories that stays with them throughout their lives. Training children in comprehension strategies is impactful – but, as Daniel Willingham points out, this can be done relatively quickly and still have the desired impact.


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