Subject: Literacy / Reading Strategies
Age Group: Y3 / Y4 and higher
Topic: Inclusion
Synopsis: What are the best books to use for whole class reading? Here we look at ways to increase a cohort’s fluency. Blog post by Nicola Baird
Librarian’s view:
For confident early readers and reluctant or not yet got it readers, tackling a whole book together in class can be tricky. The speedy ones think they know the story. While the not yet got it group might be struggling to follow and understand, and if a round robin approach is being used in their class then may also be really worrying about their turn to read out loud.
Whole class reading is of course guided by an expert reader – the teacher. One way is for the teacher to read the story to a listening class, or a class that is following along in their own book. Not only is the plot meant to keep everyone’s attention, the teacher is helping learners to pick out new vocabulary, introducing pronunciation and hopefully modelling a really enjoyable reading style. Crucially the teacher also checks on the class’s comprehension by asking questions about the text. That way everyone knows what’s going on. But do they?
As children learn to read at different speeds and classes will also have pupils with special educational needs, there will be a broad range of reading ages.
Increasingly schools which want to be inclusive are finding that if you lower the reading comprehension challenge it can become a way of improving whole class fluency.
They do this by selecting high attention/low reading age books that are edited and designed for pupils with dyslexia.
That may be one reason why Barrington Stoke publishers, which was set up 26 years ago as a specialist publisher for pupils with dyslexia or dyspraxia has seen a new interest in their well designed, easy to read texts. Sales & Marketing Director, Jane Walker says author Anthony McGowan winning the Carnegie medal with Lark in 2020 was a turning point. “People began realising our reach was a lot broader than they’d originally thought. Covid amplified that sea change… We are finding everyone tells us it has affected reading levels and reading confidence. People need more lower reading age books than ever before.”
Perhaps counter-intuitively this trend has led to improved inclusivity with whole class book choices across the curriculum. “Instead of a targeted nurture group or a one-to-one reader session it’s become ‘this is an inclusive read for the whole group’ and ‘everyone can access the same story’. How important and lovely is that? Everyone can enjoy it,” adds Jane. https://sls-uk.org/what-larks-a-life-with-books/
At Penwortham Primary in Tooting, London they’ve recently bought in books for whole class reading that make more pupils feel like readers, because the books have a lower reading age. Pupils progress with their learning and as an added benefit SENCO coordinator Marta Mrozowska says this strategic change has boosted children’s self-confidence and positively impacted on behaviour. “When children feel they can learn they are more focussed in lessons and they tell us they feel comfortable in their literacy lessons,” says Marta.
Could this be another good way to help more children in every class discover a lifelong love for books?
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