Reading
Learning to read in English is a complex process because it draws on many different skills that work together. Children need to recognise sounds and letters, blend them to form words, and then recall words automatically. At the same time, they must build vocabulary, understand grammar, and make sense of meaning within sentences and larger texts. Reading also relies on background knowledge, the ability to reason and infer, and even social understanding. On top of that, motivation, focus, and the use of strategies play an important role in helping children manage all these demands. When these areas combine—word recognition, language comprehension, and self-regulation—students can become confident and successful readers.
The Active View of Reading Model Nell K. Duke, Kelly B. Cartwright (2021)
Note. Several wordings in this model are adapted from Scarborough (2001).
Our students receive explicit instruction in all of the foundational skills necessary for proficient reading, including:
- Phoneme blending and segmentation practice
- Accuracy and automaticity of grapheme-phoneme correspondences
- Decoding automaticity of words with previously learned concepts
- Explicit introduction of new concepts
- Decoding and encoding practice
- Reading and spelling irregular words
- Reading and spelling connected text
We also focus on Tier 2 Vocabulary and background knowledge, through knowledge units and novel studies, to develop a deeper comprehension of text and improve writing skills.
Writing is just as complex as reading and involves a range of ‘strands’ that need to be explicitly taught.
At North Cottesloe Primary School we are introducing The Writing Revolution to give students explicit, structured training in writing, from sentences, to paragraphs, to full compositions. We value explicit handwriting lessons, to develop foundational literacy and cognitive skills such as reading, spelling and memory. We also use Spelling Mastery to provide a highly effective, evidence-based method for teaching reliable spelling skills, leading to significant improvements in overall literacy, writing fluency and reading comprehension.
Recommended Reading for Parents and Educators
Hochman, J. C. & Wexler, N. (2017) – The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades
Wexler, N. (2019) – The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It
Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G. & Kucan, L. (2013) – Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction
Willingham, D. T. (2009) – Why Students Don’t Like School: A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom
Christodoulou, D. (2014) – Seven Myths About Education
Stone, L. (2019) – Reading for Life: Why Reading Aloud Is Central to Literacy Development
Stone, L. (2021) – Know the Code: Understanding Phonics and Language in the Early Years
Willingham, D. T. (2017) – The Reading Mind: A Cognitive Approach to Understanding How the Mind Reads
Sweller, J., Ayres, P. & Kalyuga, S. (2011) – Cognitive Load Theory: A Special Issue of Educational Psychologist
