Closing the Reading Gap

Description

Our pupils’ success will be defined by their ability to read fluently and skilfully. But despite universal acceptance of reading’s vital importance, the reading gap in our classroom remains, and it is linked to an array of factors, such as parental wealth, education and book ownership, as well as classroom practice. To close this gap, we need to ensure that every teacher has the knowledge and skill to teach reading with confidence. In Closing the Reading Gap, Alex Quigley explores the intriguing history and science of reading, synthesising the debates and presenting a wealth of usable evidence about how children develop most efficiently as successful readers. Offering practical strategies for teachers at every phase of their teaching career, as well as tackling issues such as dyslexia and the role of technology, the book helps teachers to be an expert in how pupils ‘learn to read’ as well as how they ‘read to learn’ and explores how reading is vital for unlocking a challenging academic curriculum for every student. With a focus on nurturing pupils’ will and skill to read for pleasure and purpose, this essential volume provides practical solutions to help all teachers create a rich reading culture that will enable every student to thrive in school and far beyond the school gates. Cover Endorsement Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of contents Acknowledgements Epigraph 1 Introduction The reading challenge The teacher knowledge gap Closing the reading gap in the classroom and beyond the school gates Notes 2 A history of reading If you know your history … The rise of the machine that changed the world Children’s reading: a literature of their own The death of reading or a brave new world? In short … Notes 3 A scientific eye on reading Why all the fuss about phonics? Reading fast or reading fluently? All eyes on reading Teachers keeping a close eye on reading Notes 4 Reading comprehension The wonder of windmills Building ‘mental models’ of what we read The importance of inference making Building bridges and burying the dead Reading with a role and a goal Notes 5 Reading barriers Why Mr Men books may be more difficult than you think Understanding reading difficulty and the ‘arduous eight’ What should every teacher know about dyslexia? The hidden problem of poor comprehenders Remember those empty bookshelves? The ‘simple view’ for a complex problem In short … Notes 6 Reading in the subject disciplines Reading with a subject lens and spying informational text trends How does a geographer read? Tackling textbooks Reading like … Mathematics History English Modern foreign languages (MFL) Notes 7 Practical strategies for closing the reading gap Practical strategies for … creating a whole-school reading culture Practical strategies for … promoting reading for pleasure and purpose Practical strategies for … effective whole-class reading Practical strategies for … promoting reading fluency Practical strategies for … developing strategic readers Practical strategies for … promoting quality questioning Practical strategies for … writing to support reading Practical strategies for … vocabulary instruction to support reading Notes 8 Next steps The importance of closing the reading gap How do we know we are improving reading? Growing a reading culture and curriculum Whole-school strategies for closing the reading gap Case study 1: reading for pleasure and progress at St Matthew’s C of E Primary School – an EEF research school based in Birmin Case study 2: reading the St Mary’s literary canon at St Mary’s Catholic Academy – an EEF research school based in Blackpool The power of reading Notes Appendix Bibliography Index