Reading Workshop
How can we help children become
confident readers?
The ability to read is vital.
It paves the way for success in school and later life.
Research shows that it's the single most important thing
you can do to help your child's education.
There are many reasons why we read and therefore why
children will read:
• for pleasure and interest
• for work
• to learn about the world e.g. in papers
• to obtain information e.g. recipes and signs
Stages of Reading - 1
Pre-readers:
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Look at books and like to be read to
Like to behave like a reader
Learn about words from songs and rhymes
Learn how the text works
Use pictures and memory to tell a story
Stages of Reading - 2
Emerging readers:
• Ready to receive instructions about reading
• Know the text can be a story or information
• Begin to match written words to spoken words and
letters to sounds
• Begin to say words in simple texts
• Use the picture to understand the text
Stages of Reading - 3
Early readers:
• Develop more confidence
• Use mainly phonic strategies to identify words
• Recognise many words and are willing to try new
texts
• Begin to talk about the meaning of stories and texts
Stages of Reading - 4
Fluent Readers:
• Read for pleasure and interest with understanding
• Use a variety of methods to identify words and
meaning (phonic, graphic, contextual)
• Read a good range of texts, making predictions and
commenting on information
• Relate the meaning to their own experiences and
knowledge
Teaching reading in school
Phonic groups:
• In Foundation Stage,Year One and
Year Two, children are in phonic groups
matched to their ability.
• These sessions teach them the sounds and letter
patterns which are the building blocks to reading and
spelling.
• It happens on a daily basis for 15 – 20mins.
• It’s a very successful way to learn to read as it allows
children to decode new words successfully.
• It should be used as part of a language rich environment.
Teaching reading in school
Guided reading sessions:
• A quality learning time for a small group who are at
the same reading level.
• The teacher identifies the next step for those
children and they focus on that key skill for one or
more sessions.
• Between one and three times a week depending on
the needs of the group.
Teaching reading in school
Intervention sessions:
• Children whose progress is below
age expectations are given daily
inputs to increase their sight vocabulary.
• They usually work individually with a teaching
assistant on key word targets.
• 10 – 15 minutes per day until they are back within
age expected levels.
Teaching reading in school
Children also have time to practise their reading skills.
• Follow up to guided sessions.
• Paired reading – within the class or across classes.
• Story time – children practise a text and read to the
class.
• Individual reading time for pleasure.
How we assess children’s reading
Colour banding:
Children are placed on a colour band for their
independent reading from Lilac for emerging
readers through to Lime, Ruby and Sapphire for
Fluent free readers.
In their guided reading sessions they will usually be
reading the colour band above as they work on their
next step targets.
How we assess children’s reading
These colour bands are regularly reviewed through:
• Formal benchmark reading tests every half term or
more frequently if required. These test decoding,
fluency and comprehension skills.
• Informal reading assessments when sharing books
with a child.
How we assess children’s reading
Guided reading:
Children are constantly assessed during guided reading
sessions using the seven Assessment Focuses (AFs) of
the National Curriculum Reading Guidelines.
Their next step targets will come from these AFs.
How we assess children’s reading
AF 1: Decoding texts
AF2: Understand texts
AF3: Deduce, infer or interpret information
AF4: Understand the features of different texts
How we assess children’s reading
AF5: Explain and comment on writers’ use of
language
AF6: Comment on the overall effect of the text
on the reader
AF7: Relate texts to social, cultural and historical
traditions
How we assess children’s reading
Statutory assessment:
At the end of Key Stage One the children’s reading
attainment is reported to the Local Education
Authority as a National Curriculum level.
A phonetic reading assessment has just been
introduced into Year 1.
Age expectations
• Early reader by end of Foundation Stage moving into
level 1 – red/yellow books
• High level 1 (1a) by end of Year 1- turquoise books
• Mid level 2 (2b) by end of Year 2 – gold books
Reading Comprehension
Reading is a balance between decoding and
comprehension, both of which need teaching.
As children move from being an early reader to a
fluent reader their comprehension skills develop.
This is extremely important; they can’t become a
successful reader unless they can understand more
complex texts.
Talking to children about what they’re reading is vital.
Reading Comprehension
Many children find understanding the texts they read
more difficult and need extra support.
These children may be able to read all the words in a
book but struggle with retrieving, deducing or inferring
meaning.
They need particular support before they are able to
move onto harder texts.
Developing Comprehension
There are 3 levels of comprehension that
usually develop progressively:
• On the lines (the actual words – literal)
• Between the lines (deduction and inference)
• Beyond the lines (making comparisons and
empathising)
The first and most important teacher
As a parent or carer you play the leading role in helping
your child move through the stages of reading.
The link between home and school is such an
important one – children who are encouraged,
supported and taught in both environments will
obviously have the best chance of success.
Top Tips
• Read more difficult books aloud to children of all
ages - it helps to keep them interested and develop
their story language.
• Talk about the text as much as possible - on,
between and beyond the lines.
• Read together – paired reading if children are less
confident or read the same book as your child if
they’re an independent reader so you can discuss the
text.
Top Tips
• Make it fun – repetitive stories are great, read a wide
variety of texts; stories, poems, information books,
magazines, comics.
• Visit the library regularly to extend
their reading range.
• Read every day – books, signs, newspapers, leaflets
whatever you can get your hands on!
What to do if you’re worried
• Talk to your child’s teacher about your concerns.
• They’ll discuss their strengths and weaknesses and
how you can support your child.
Children as readers
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