Staff INSET
• This presentation has been designed to give
your staff an understanding of the aims,
structure and content of i-read prior to a handson practice session
• Feel free to edit this presentation to suit your
own purposes
• The Help file in i-read contains step-by-step
advice on all screens
• Note that Key Stage 1 differs to
Key Stage 2 in terms of structure
and design
Staff INSET: Objectives
• To introduce i-read
• To demonstrate how the content can be
used to teach writing in an innovative and
engaging way
• To prepare for a hands-on practice session
Rationale of i-read
• i-read is a stimulating interactive
whiteboard resource from CambridgeHitachi, Cambridge University Press, and
Pie Corbett
• It is designed to support shared reading
sessions through engaging texts and
interactive content
Rationale of i-read
"I have often wondered what it
would be like if every child
could read… it may sound
idealistic, but that has to be our
aim. i-read could become a
dynamic part of your reading
repertoire aimed at achieving
this goal."
Pie Corbett, Series Editor
Why other schools use i-read
• "i-read covers all learning styles and really
brings the text alive with its use of audio
and video clips.”
• "Excellent for motivating boys - they
couldn't wait to get into class when they
were using i-read. And it is so easy to use
for the non-specialist ICT teacher.“
• “It will really help to move on the reading
and writing agenda at the school."
Rationale of i-read
• Four-part teaching and learning process:
1. Demonstration or modelling of reading strategies and
behaviours by the teacher (I’ll show you how…).
2. Shared and scaffolded application of those skills,
using activities (Let’s have a go together…).
3. Independent and guided practice, using either the
anthologies or the PDF printouts (Now have a go on
your own…).
4. Review and consolidation of learning (What have we
learned… and where do we need to go next?)
Main features of i-read
• Newly written stories, non-fiction and
poetry from the UK’s top children’s writers
• Audio, video and thought-provoking
questions enhance the texts and stimulate
pupil's involvement
• Interactive activities provide opportunities
for further discussion and consolidation of
the teaching objective
Questions
to discuss
with your
class
Listen to
the story
Multimedia
enhancements
(videos, audio
clips, and
animations)
Focus
highlights
help with
KS1 phonics
Guided and
independent
practice.
Toolbar allows you
and your class to
annotate the text,
highlight interesting
words or
constructions, and
hide or magnify
images
Components
Interactive whiteboard software for Years 1-6
Components
Anthologies for Years 1-6
Themes and text types: Year 1
Hometime
Fiction/Poetry
Animal Antics
Non-fiction/Fiction
Where I Live
Poetry/Non-fiction
Rumbling Tums
Fiction/Poetry
Tiger Time
Poetry/Non-fiction
Follow the Fox
Non-fiction/Fiction
Splish Splash
Splosh (seaside)
Non-fiction/Fiction
The Magic Castle
Poetry/Non-fiction
Dinosaurs
Non-fiction/Fiction
Years 1 and 2 offer nine themed units,
each with its own mix of fiction, non-fiction or poetry
Themes and text types: Year 2
School Days
Fiction/Poetry
Puppet Parade
Non-fiction/Fiction
Celebrate! (festivals)
Poetry/Non-fiction
Days Out
Fiction/Poetry
Bella (a Caribbean
Cinderella)
Fiction/Non-fiction
Down on the Farm
Non-fiction/Poetry
Crazy Castles
Poetry/Fiction
Pirates Ahoy!
Poetry/Non-fiction
Magical Journeys
Poetry/Fiction
Years 1 and 2 offer nine themed units,
each with its own mix of fiction, non-fiction or poetry
Themes and text types: Year 3
Familiar settings
Fiction
Non-chronological
reports
Non-fiction
Shape and
observation
Poetry
Traditional Tales
Fiction
Instructions/
Alphabetic texts
Non-fiction
Performance
Poetry
Adventure
Fiction
Letters
Non-fiction
Language Play
Poetry
Years 3-6 have nine different fiction, non-fiction and
poetry units
Themes and text types: Year 4
Historical stories
Fiction
Newspapers
Non-fiction
Poems w/ a common
theme (school)
Poetry
Sci-fi/Fantasy
Fiction
Explanations
Non-fiction
Poems from a
different culture/time
Poetry
Stories from other
cultures
Fiction
Persuasive writing
Non-fiction
Different forms
Poetry
Years 3-6 have nine different fiction, non-fiction and
poetry units
Themes and text types: Year 5
Significant author
Fiction
Recounts
Non-fiction
Significant poets
Poetry
Traditional Tales
Fiction
Non-chronological
reports
Non-fiction
Longer classic and
narrative poetry
Poetry
Stories from other
cultures
Fiction
Persuasive writing
Non-fiction
Performance poetry
Poetry
Years 3-6 have nine different fiction, non-fiction and
poetry units
Themes and text types: Year 6
Shakespeare
Fiction
Biography
Non-fiction
Established poets
Poetry
Revision
Fiction
Revision
Non-fiction
Revision
Poetry
Sci-fi/fantasy
Fiction
Mystery/whodunnit
Non-fiction
Themes poems
Poetry
Years 3-6 have nine different fiction, non-fiction and
poetry units
Structure (key stage 1)
• Each DVD-ROM contains
18 texts in 9 themes
• Each text has a starter
activity and five teaching
focuses from reading for
enjoyment, word and
sentence-level work, to
preparing to write
Structure (key stage 2)
• Each CD-ROM contains 9 texts. Each text has a
number of different focuses.
• Fiction: response, characterisation, setting, use
of language, plot, evaluation, preparing to write.
• Non-fiction: response, audience and purpose,
use of language, visual literacy, structure and
organisation, preparing to write.
• Poetry: response, form and structure, language
features, interpretation and evaluation, preparing
to write.
Support materials
• Teacher’s notes
• Additional text resources
Support materials
Teacher’s notes:
• Detailed curriculum matching
• Teaching ideas for every text
• Differentiation and extension activities
supplied throughout
Support materials
Additional text resources:
• PDFs (‘e-texts’) of all texts
• ‘Shadow’ texts in the same genre for
independent reading practice (KS2 only)
• Rhyme Room – additional songs, nursery
rhymes and poems (KS1 only)
Key Stage 1 Rhyme Room: Available from the main menu screen
How does i-read support phonics?
• Shared reading supports recognition of high
frequency words and builds phonemic
awareness.
• Focus Highlights (see bottom toolbar) in each
text highlight phonically regular words, ‘tricky’
words, rhyming words, or words with particular
phonemes and graphemes.
• Teacher’s notes offer guidance on how and
when to use Focus Highlights
Thanks and questions