Reading in Class

If pupils are to succeed academically, they need to be accurate, fluent readers with broad background knowledge and vocabulary that facilitates comprehension. As a result of this, wherever possible, academic content is presented to pupils through extended reading. Teachers vary how texts are read in class: sometimes the teacher reads, modelling good prosody; other times, pupils read aloud to the class. When reading, teachers regularly check for understanding and reading is accompanied by explicit vocabulary instruction and  text dependent questions.

Reading Intervention

At Trinity, we ensure that pupils who require reading intervention are quickly identified so that they can be given the support to rapidly catch up. When pupils arrive in year 7, and then once a year from then on, their reading ability is tested using an NGRT reading test. Pupils who perform badly on this test are then given a second, fine grain decoding assessment to ascertain if they need to be placed upon Thinking Reading, our highly effective intervention scheme. With the exception of those pupils who left the school before finishing the programme, every single pupil who has been put onto it has rapidly and completely caught up to their chronological age, with some students making 9 years of reading progress in a school year.   

Form time Reading

Every Tuesday in Family Group, students in year 9 and 10 take part in a whole reading class where they read a set text out loud as a group. The teacher will model fluent reading and ask pupils to read parts out loud in addition to this. This shared reading provides valuable reading practice and allows family group leaders to correct pronunciation or accuracy errors as and when they arise. Because all students have a copy of the text, everyone is practising reading at the same time, either by reading out loud or by following along when others read. Family group leaders insist upon projection, correct intonation and accuracy and model good reading themselves so that students regularly hear skilled readers.

In Year 9 we read A Little History of the World by E. H Gombrich, a sweeping historical overview that begins in Neolithic times and sketches a fantastic narrative of world history up until the First World War. Year 10 read A Little History of Philosophy by Nigel Warburton, an accessible introduction to some of the major Western philosophers. These three non-fiction texts have been chosen in order to develop students’ general knowledge.

Year 7 and 8 reading for fluency lunchtime sessions:

For 15 minutes every day, all pupils in year 7 and 8 are read to by a member of staff. The staff member models fluency and articulation and models how to intonate and pronounce new vocabulary. There is a wide range of diverse fiction covered and regular opportunities for pupil voice so we can continue to update and change according to what they are enjoying. We really value the power of reading and this session ensures all of our year 7 and 8 pupils are being exposed to this opportunity.

Some of the books we read are:

 

• Yr 7: A Kind of Spark, Chinese Cinderella, Sawbones, One Chance Dance.

 

• Yr 8: The Boy at the Top of the Mountain, Kick, Pig Heart Boy, When Life Gives You Mangoes.