Reading Across the Curriculum

Banging on again about the focus on Literacy and Reading for Pleasure – well it is my main passion!

Many  teachers who have experienced the new Ofsted framework have been faced with this question:-

 

“What are you doing to promote reading for pleasure in your subject?”

 

So to offer some support to teachers I have been setting up Pinterest boards based upon different areas of the curriculum. This is mainly a request service so far, and over the weekend I have been working on Pinterest boards for Health; Microbes; Diet, and Plants.

 

http://pinterest.com/sarahlmasters/

The Reading Agenda

Last week during the Staff Training Days we introduced to teachers the Reading Agenda and the RWC (M) as mentioned frequently in the new Ofsted inspections. RWC(M) = Reading, Writing, Communication and Maths.

 

As part of this I had a slot to show:

 

• how important the role of tutor/teacher is – with them reading during SSR sessions (Sustained Silent Reading or DEAR) rather than marking, doing admin tasks, their students are likely to perform 10-20% in reading tests.

   

• What the MRC is doing this academic year to support and promote Reading for Pleasure

   

• Some of the MRC services that are available to staff to support ‘Literacy Across the Curriculum’ as Ofsted Inspectors are asking individual subject teachers “What are you doing to support Reading for PLeasure in your subject?”

   

 

Bookmarking Next Academic Year

It’s normal for this time of year to be forward planning for next academic year.

 

With Literacy and the Reading for Pleasure agenda – finally coming into focus in schools I was asked to create booklists for year 7 & 8.

Booklists? I thought. Aren’t they a bit ‘dry’ and, well boring?

 

 

So instead I have started to create a series of Genre Bookmarks – something I have done before at a previous school, but the book world moves on and so I have started from scratch to include some modern titles alongside the classics.

 

 

Genres covered so far:-

 

Adventure; Animals; Crime; Dystopia; Families; Fantasy; Friends; Funny; Ghost; Historical; Horror; Myths; Other lands; Romance; Sad; School; Sci-fi; Sport; and War/Conflict.

 

 

 

I have a few more ideas for other bookmarks – but if you have an idea or want a bookmark creating on your favourite type of stories – then please do let me know!

 

Year 7 Information Literacy Programme: Different Types of Reading

The latest Information Literacy session is an introductory session looking at different types of reading.

 

I demonstrate five types of reading:

 

Scanning : I scan for a fact (phone number)using a telephone directory

 

Skimming : I have covered a book about “Earth Sciences” in plain paper, I then flick through and skim read the chapter headings and the students have to work out what the book is about

 

Detailed Reading : I sit down and demonstrate reading for understanding, and make notes in the process

 

 

 

Reading for Bias : I show and read out an advert. Then discuss selling an ‘idea’ rather than just a product.

 

 

 

finally my favourite type of reading…

Reading for pleasure : I sit, relax and read my current reading material (Carnegie Long LIst books at the moment.

 

I then put the class into small groups and they are given four sets of cards. One set has the name of the type of reading, a second set  why we would use that type of reading, the third set describes how we would read, and the fourth set is a picture clue. The groups have to match the cards for each type of reading.

 

Common mistakes every year are the muddling of Skimming and Scanning, and confusion over Bias. But we have a closer look at these in later sessions…..