CONTRIBUTORS Enjoying reading before
learning to read This month, in our ongoing collaboration with Edge Hill University curated by ALICIA BLANCO-BAYO, Early Years Lecturer and WTEY Programme Leader at the University’s Faculty of Education, we’re delighted to hear from JESSICA BOOTH, recently completed her undergraduate degree in Early Years Education with Qualified Teacher Status.
Should we expect children to say ‘I can read’ without first encouraging them to say the equally, and arguably more exciting words, ‘I WANT to read!’? A domineering approach to the teaching of systematic synthetic phonics in schools that prioritises the decoding of words over additional reading skills could be showing negative effects towards children’s willingness to read for pleasure in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Recent evidence (Wyse and Bradbury, 2022; Weale, 2022) indicates that a more balanced approach that teaches children not only how to read, but an understanding of what they are reading, would have positive impacts on their motivation to read for pleasure in the future. However, in contrast to the idea that phonics teaching should be relaxed (Merga, 2017), it could be suggested that children who lack confidence in their ability to read will be much less willing to do so. Although this could hold some truth, I question whether the skill of reading is necessary to enjoy engaging in reading experiences, especially given its broad definition in the EYFS.
The National Literacy Trust (Clark and Rumbold, 2006) define reading for pleasure as ‘reading that we do of our own free will, anticipating satisfaction’, and continues to explore how reading for pleasure can be a continuation of reading that comes from the request of others. But, if we are to ‘request’ that children participate in reading with a heavy focus on phonics, I wonder what could be done to leave children wanting to read more. This is not to say that children cannot enjoy learning to read through phonics, but to admit that not all children do (DfE, 2019).
When searching for ways in which early years practitioners can promote a love of reading in the EYFS, several sources expressed the importance of children accessing high quality reading experiences at home as well as in school. Children who do not engage in reading at home risk falling behind in reading at school and, as a result, have limited access to other areas of the curriculum, such as by struggling to read questions in mathematics (Sullivan and Brown, 2013). Local authorities in England have made significant efforts to promote reading as a result of these findings by reviewing school policies and communicating with libraries. This involved pushing the need for investments in adult literacy projects to help parents in understanding how they can support their child in developing essential literacy skills with the aim of increasing exposure to reading related discussions at home (Institute of Education, 2022). Further projects, such as the ‘Bookmark Reading Project’ (2021), have shown to improve children’s enjoyment, attainment, and confidence in reading by providing more frequent reading interventions with an adult.
Regardless, there still appears to be a worry that the current nature of phonics teaching does not promote a love of reading, and what use is the skill of reading without the motivation to pick up a book in the first place. References
CLARK, C., and RUMBOLD, K., 2006. Reading for Pleasure: A Research Overview [online]. Available from:
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED496343.pdf [22/07/2022].
BOOKMARK., 2021. Impact Report 2020/21 [online]. Available from:
https://static1.squarespace.com/ static/5c37767350a54f4ce2f6a2b2/t/621cf41afa096a5a1eed1e0a/1646064697423/Bookmark_Impact_ Report_202021_FINAL_WEB+SPREADS.pdf [22/07/2022].
DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION, 2022. Achievement of 15-year-olds in England: PISA 2018 results [online]. Available from:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_ data/file/904420/PISA_2018_England_national_report_accessible.pdf [22/07/2022]. DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION, 2022. The reading framework: Teaching the foundations of literacy [online]. Available from:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/ attachment_data/file/1050849/Reading_framework_Teaching_the_foundations_of_literacy_-_July_2021_ Jan_22_update.pdf [22/07/2022].
INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION, 2015. Reading for Pleasuure: Research impact case study [online]. Available from:
https://cls.ucl.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Readingforpleasurestoppress.pdf [22/07/2022]. MERGA, M., 2017. Interactive reading opportunities beyond the early years: What educators need to consider. Australian Journal of Education. 61 (3), pp. 328-343. Available from:
https://edgehill.on.worldcat. org/oclc/7831824824 [22/07/2022].
SULLIVAN, A., and BROWN, M., 2013. Social inequalities in cognitive scores at age 16: The role of reading [online]. Available from:
https://cls.ucl.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/CLS-WP-2013-10-.pdf [22/07/2022].
WEALE, S., 2022. Focus on phonics to teach reading is ‘failing children’, says landmark study. The Guardian [online]. 19 January. Available from:
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/jan/19/focus-on- phonics-to-teach-reading-is-failing-children-says-landmark-study [22/07/2022]. WYSE, D., and BRADBURY, A., 2022. Reading wars or reconciliation? A critical examination of robust research evidence, curriculum policy and teachers’ practices for teaching phonics and reading. Review of Education [online]. 10 (1). Available from:
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/jan/19/focus-on- phonics-to-teach-reading-is-failing-children-says-landmark-study [22/07/2022].
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www.education-today.co.uk
SEND in science In her regular column this month,
STEMtastic! founder KIRSTY BERTENSHAW offers some great and practical ideas to liven up STEM lessons.
Sometimes it can be difficult to think of new ideas to practise skills in a fun and engaging way or teach concepts that are straightforward but not exciting. Here are a few ways activities can be used to introduce a new concept, or to practise important skills.
The game Countdown can be used with both the letter game and the number round. Letter rounds allow students to practise spelling and vocabulary. They could be allowed dictionaries to help or given time limits to increase difficulty. There are online Countdown solvers and generators to help find the longest word. Alternatively, they can be given a specific technical term and asked to come up with as many linked words as possible. The number round of Countdown makes a great starter, encouraging the use of mental maths, times tables and division. The level of difficulty can be changed by adding more than six numbers or changing the settings on an online countdown generator which can be projected onto the board.
Board games that use dice, e.g., snakes and ladders, are a sneaky way to practice maths skills in smaller groups. Multiple maths dice could be added up to make each move, increasing the pace of the game as well as the difficulty.
When teaching fractions of amounts, instead of using pictures on paper, use cuddly toys and counters, sweets, or Lego bricks for them to share out. If teaching money literacy, set up a play shop using toys, play kitchen food or empty food boxes. Students can pay with play money, working out how much they can buy and how much change is required depending on if they are the customer or the shopkeeper.
In science, experiments are often explained before they are carried out, removing some of the independent thinking. Reverse the process, give students the minimum of instructions and let them explore the concept and make conclusions themselves before explaining the science. For example, by using red cabbage indicator, students can safely experiment by adding them to various substances such as vinegar, lemon juice, or baking powder solution and work out what is happening. They can group substances by whether they turn red or blue-green, and may be able to identify some by their smell. This is a great problem-solving and scientific technique to teach, alongside knowledge of acids and alkalis in the example given.
Doing physical tasks backwards can be used in other parts of science too. Instead of presenting a torso model with organs already in place, give students models with the pile of organs in front of the of the model, and the instruction that they should reconstruct it. Name labels can be added to the organs so students can work out which one is which and see how they fit together, learning about organ systems in the process.
Reverse tasks can be used in maths too. Show students one squared equals one and see if they can determine what the squared symbol means. Once they have consensus, show them that two squared equals four and see if their conclusion still applies. Repeat with a few more examples to confirm the conclusion. Not only is this teaching them how squared numbers work but also how theories evolve with information.
Kirsty is the founder of STEMtastic, an education consultancy with a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths
www.stemtastic.co.uk
October 2022
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