In association with
TEACH READING & WRITING
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critical thinking, engaging children in debate,
and sparking discussions around character,
themes and intent.
■
Nurture a culture of ‘book gossip’ inwhich
children become accustomed to discussing,
sharing and recommending future reading,
andwhere teachersmodel how to elicit
inference and deduction. This enables
children to evaluate books, critique author
intent and reflect on reading choices in a
positive learning environment.
■
Provide opportunities for children to
develop deeper responses to text and
illustration. Allowing pupils to respond
through art, music, performance and drama
will ensure progress towards fluency and
independence at KS2. Examples of where
schools have used these approaches are
available on the Power of Readingwebsite
(clpe.org.uk/powerofreading).
Useeffective
questioning
■
Look to address the balance of teacher
versus pupil talk. When reflecting on
questioning, consider this: who asks the
majority of questions in the classroom? Have
teachers ever analysed the kinds of questions
they ask? Howmany questions do teachers
ask towhich they already know the answers?
What do teachers dowith the pupils’ answers?
What proportion of questions are deliberately
open ended? Andwhat balance of pupil and
teacher talk exists in classrooms?
■
Facilitate children to ask questions.
Encourage themto develop critical
awareness as readers, analysing how
language, formand structure are used by
awriter to createmeanings and effects.
Encourage themto question content and
function. Using an approach such as Aidan
Chambers’ ‘Tell Me’ helps children to
generate their own questions, which they
can answer through further reading,
discussion and book talk.
pupilsmake progress towards becoming
experienced and independent readers
andwill prepare children for the transition
to secondary school. High-quality text
choicesmust be included in school reading
programmes, and routines shouldmake
space for uninterrupted free reading
time. Reading for purpose and pleasure
across the curriculum is fundamental to
creating experienced and independent
readers at KS2.
■
Employ texts that can be used across
the curriculumto promote higher-order
thinking skills, empathy, and that promote
reading as a social act. This is vital for
developing children’s critical thinking.
Pupils need to be supported tomove from
being able to identify textual features to
being able to talk andwrite about the impact
thesemight have on the reader. This is also
especially supportive for transition from
KS2 to KS3.
■
Ensure that teachers have good knowledge
of both classic and contemporary children’s
literature so they canmakemeaningful and
personalised recommendations. Children
need books that promote discussion and
reflection. These are likely to bemulti-layered;
capable of being read at different levels;
based on pertinent themes; fromdifferent
cultural settings; andwritten by skilful and
experienced children’swriters using lively
and inventive language.
Developcritical
thinking
■
Use an approach such as literature
circles: small, temporary discussion groups
reading the same text. This gives children
independence and experience, but avoids
labelling andfixed groupings. Each child
should take on a key role andworks
collaboratively to respond deeply to his
or her shared text. Teachers can also
scaffold and extend the talk, promoting
EXPERIMENTWITH
CREATIVEWRITING
Children should learn to think critically
about thewriting of authors, aswell
as their ownwork, and visits from
publishedwriterswill help tomake this
processmeaningful.
■
Use drama and oracy to stimulate real
and imagined contexts for writing. This
provides the opportunity for children to
have their writing read aloud, performed or
dramatised, then discussed and polished
further. It ensures children have the chance
to explore high-level and precise
vocabulary, and develop a sophisticated
understanding of context-specific
vocabulary andwhy it has been used to
achieve impact.
■
Encourage children to keep creative
or free-writing journals inwhich they
can explore a range of ideas privately,
allowing themto hone a personal style
and voice. Children also need the
opportunity for extendedwriting, including
self-directedwriting, which can be
revisited, redrafted, edited and refined,
using peer response and self assessment.
Being an experienced and independent
writer involves a subtle understanding of
the relationship between thewriter and
the reader.
■
It is really important to remember
that supportingfluent and experienced
readers andwriters tomake progress at
KS2 is not about establishing a separate
curriculum. Structures, processes and
pedagogical approaches that support
higher-order thinking provide a positive,
supportive learning culturewithinwhich
quality children’s literature is at the heart
of all learning.
