SSLN (Literacy) Professional Learning Workshops
Document title
Transforming lives through learning
Before you continue…
Document title
Transforming lives through learning
Resources
To complete this workshop each participant will need:
 Handout: : Common pitfalls for readers
 Second level SSLN print assessment: Be Closer to Nature – Text
 Second level SSLN print assessment: Be Closer to Nature – Questions
 Second level online assessment: Acting Your Age website
 Second level online assessment: Acting Your Age - Questions
 Learning and teaching strategies notes sheet
Document title
Transforming lives through learning
Introduction to SSLN (Literacy)
Professional Learning Workshops
Welcome to the SSLN (Literacy) Professional Learning Workshops.
These workshops are designed to support practitioners with the areas for development
identified by the survey. Before using this material you may wish to view the results of the
survey in the Scottish Government report.
This workshop focuses on reading. There are additional workshops available for group
discussion and writing.
The material in each workshop is taken from SSLN (Literacy) online Professional Learning
Resources.
Document title
Transforming lives through learning
SSLN (Literacy) Reading –
Professional Learning Workshop
Purposes of this workshop :
 To reflect on current practice in the learning and teaching of reading skills in your
establishment
 To develop practitioners’ understanding and skills in this area in order to improve
learners’ attainment.
Document title
Transforming lives through learning
Outline of workshop
Focus
Part 1
Common pitfalls for readers
Part 2
Analysis of the 2012 SSLN reading assessments
Part 3
What we can learn from learner’s responses to
reading assessments
Part 4
Learning and teaching strategies
Part 5
Reflection and planning
Document title
Slides
Time (approx)
Transforming lives through learning
COMMON PITFALLS FOR READERS
Document title
Transforming lives through learning
Learners will adopt different strategies as they relate the questions to a text. Repeated,
targeted cross-reference may be a big demand on learners who are struggling from the
beginning. Some of their strategies may be limited or inappropriate to the task in hand, with
the result that they may not be able to construct a mental 'map' of the original in their head.
Learners may:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningandteaching/assessment/ssln/resources/literacyreadingnew/generalobservations.asp
Document title
Transforming lives through learning

read the whole text passively with little regard to purpose

make inappropriate use of headings and/or illustrations and/or other markers which
indicate the structure and organisation of the text

read the source text through and then answer the questions without referring back to the
text

start to answer individual questions before they have read the whole passage and gained
an overview of its structure, missing contextual or narrative information relevant to the
question they are considering

adopt a 'hunt the answer' approach in which they look for a specific point or phrase
signposted by the question without due regard to the sentence or paragraph context

lack IT skills and have difficulty in using tabs, menus or links
Document title
Transforming lives through learning
 misunderstand the sort of answer required by a particular
type of question (e.g. confusion of 'how' and 'why')
 bring their own prior knowledge to a text in relation to word meanings and question
interpretation and, as a result, not use the passage to answer the question
 rely excessively on their own existing knowledge of a topic or an issue and ignore or distort
important aspects of the content of the text
 find that a particular topic arouses strong emotions which act as a block to their
understanding
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learningandteaching/assessment/ssln/resources/literacyreadingnew/generalobservations.asp
Document title
Transforming lives through learning
ANALYSIS OF THE 2012 SSLN READING
ASSESSMENTS
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Transforming lives through learning
Second level reading assessment: paper and
pencil
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Transforming lives through learning
Second level reading - online
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Transforming lives through learning
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Transforming lives through learning
LEARNING AND TEACHING STRATEGIES
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Transforming lives through learning
Reading Barrier
Learning and teaching strategies that support
.
learners to progress
Discuss the barriers to effective reading that you have observed
in your own practice and identify the learning and teaching
strategies that could be employed to help learners to progress.
Document title
Transforming lives through learning
Reflection and planning
As a result of this workshop, what
changes will you make to your
practice?
Resources/further reading/support needed
to complete your target.
Next week
Next term
Next session
Document title
Transforming lives through learning
Education Scotland
Denholm House
Almondvale Business Park
Almondvale Way
Livingston EH54 6GA
T +44 (0)141 282 5000
E enquiries@educationscotland.gov.uk
www.educationscotland.gov.uk
Document title
Transforming lives through learning