The Power of Reading

Information EveningInformation Evening

Aims for this evening

• Introduce the Power of Reading approach to teaching literacy

• Share some examples of how the Power of Reading approach works across the of Reading approach works across the school

• Demonstrate some of the creative teaching approaches. This will involve some audience participation!

What is the Power of Reading?

• The Power of Reading is about teaching Literacy through using high quality books and creative teaching approaches (such as art and drama).

• This approach aims to engage and motivate • This approach aims to engage and motivate children in their literacy learning.

• It also enables children to deepen their understanding of texts and provides a meaningful context for writing.

Some of the quality texts we have used as a basis for literacy learning

How are the texts used?

• A quality text will be used as the basis for learning over several weeks.

• Children will explore and discuss the text through creative activities.

• They will also write in a range of genres as • They will also write in a range of genres as part of the unit. For example they might write a letter in role as a character or write a newspaper recount about the events in the text.

Why have we chosen to introduce the Power of Reading at Christ Church?

• We have chosen to introduce the Power of Reading as part of our focus on further raising standards in Literacy.

• Analysis has shown that reading comprehension isn’t as high as reading accuracy. The Power of Reading as high as reading accuracy. The Power of Reading helps to develop inference and deduction and comprehension skills. It also involves children regularly writing in different genres and creates a more cohesive learning experience.

• Literacy is at the heart of the curriculum and the texts facilitate a range of exciting cross curricular work. For example Goodnight Mr Tom and Rose Blanche enhanced work on World War 2.

What the children think I like doing art in literacy because

it helps you to have a story. I like

reading the books in literacy. They

are fun and some are really funny!

Y3 girl

It’s easier to visualise what you have

to do in the lesson (like writing a diary

or a recount) because we’re reading a

story at the same time instead of

flicking through lots of books.

Y6 boy

I like how we focus on one story for

ages so you can think about how

the characters are feeling. I like

writing diary entries because you

can really imagine what it is like to

be the character.

Y5 girl

It’s fun and I like it when we get to

make things like the props. It

helps me think of the actual story

and makes it easier for me to do

my writing.

Y2 boy

Reading aloud – A key approach with all the books

Reading aloud is a key part of the Power of Reading. The strategy enables all children to access quality texts. Reading aloud also enables the teacher to model aloud also enables the teacher to model expressive and fluent reading to the children. Children then echo what they have heard read aloud in their own writing.

Book Talk – One to try at home!

Book talk enables children to discuss and find meanings in the texts they read as a class.

Once children have heard a text read to them they can be asked to respond using the Tell me.. questions.

Book Talk

There are four basic book talk questions

Tell me...was there anything you liked about this book?Was there anything you particularly Was there anything you particularly disliked?Was there anything that puzzled you?Were there any patterns... any connections that you noticed?

The openness of the questions enables everyone to contribute

The Power of Reading at Christ Church

• We are now going to demonstrate some of the teaching approaches we use when teaching literacy. teaching literacy.

• Each year group team will talk about some of the work they have done this year and demonstrate some of the approaches they have used.

Demonstrations from teams teams

Foundation Stage

Charlie and Lola

aka Evan and Zoe((

Our Class Poem

Mushrooms are tiny fairy houses

Carrots are crunchy orange light sabres

Sausages are tiny little chocolate fingersSausages are tiny little chocolate fingers

Bananas are ice cream moon lollies

Spaghetti is like snakes made out of white chocolate

Lola doesn’t like…

cheese cauliflower

baked beans spaghetti

Year 1/2

These are some of the texts we

have used this year

In term 1 we worked with Traction Man

Traction Man is an

action figure toy who

has lots of adventures

with his trusty sidekick

scrubbing brush

At Christmas time they go to visit

granny

We are now going to create a freeze-frame

of Traction Man and scrubbing brush.

Now it’s your turn! Be ready to share your thoughts and feelings.

The children created freeze frames

as Traction Man and Scrubbing

Brush

Traction Man has an adventure in the sink with the evil dishcloth. We made story boxes of the sink setting and invented new sink baddies

Making Traction Man story boxes Using action figure toys and story boxes to retell story

The children then wrote their own

Traction Man stories

In term 2 we read The Jolly

Postman

The Jolly Postman delivers letters to

different fairytale characters. We’re now

going to look at when he visits the wolf.

We are now going to hot

seat the wolf to get the wolf's

side of the storyHere’s some ideas for questions. Can you think of some of

your own as well?

Why did you eat granny? Why did you eat granny?

Can you explain what you are doing in granny’s house?

Is it true that you stole granny’s clothes?

What happened when Little Red Riding Hood arrived?

Why don't we ask Mr Wolf himself?

We then wrote our own replies to

Granny as the wolf.

Our final piece of work in this unit was

writing our own Jolly Christmas

Postman stories and publishing them.

We then read them to the other

classes.

Year 3/4

Empathising with Characters

• By identifying

character feelings,

thoughts and

motivations we can motivations we can

understand why they

act they way they do

In Role

• Diaries

• Letters

• Conversations• Conversations

• Interviews

• Writing from a POV

• Freeze frames and

thought showers

Conscience Alley

There are two lines of people trying to persuade a

character.

Each person prepares a point of view to express.Each person prepares a point of view to express.

The character walks in between the two lines,

listening to their advice.

He or she has to decide what to do next.

Visualisation

• Aiding

comprehension

• Bringing stories to life

• Exploring imagination• Exploring imagination

• Appreciating how

word choices affect

the reader’s

understanding

Benefits

• Good descriptive

language

• Immersion in a

scene/situationscene/situation

• Opportunities to

“Magpie”

• Stimulate writing from

artwork helps visual

learners

Visualisation from the Village that

Vanished

What do you picture in your head?

The Effect on the Children

• Greater recall and understanding

• Read whole stories rather than snippets

• Developing a toolkit for writing

• Enhanced vocabulary• Enhanced vocabulary

• Studying texts in depth

• Meets all learners’ needs

Year 5/6

How you can support at home

• Reading aloud is a key strategy for developing children’s enthusiasm of reading.

• Hearing quality texts read aloud also impacts on the quality of children’s writing as they can ‘echo’ what they have heard. Reading aloud to ‘echo’ what they have heard. Reading aloud to your child is therefore a key way to support at home.

• When you have read a text together you can use the tell me questions (see handout) to discuss it together. This helps to develop children’s level of comprehension.

How you can support at home

• You could read other books by the same author as the text your child is reading in class (eg for the Jolly Postman other books by the Ahlbergs).

• You could also read other books on a similar theme (eg for Traction Man you could read theme (eg for Traction Man you could read other books about toys or superheroes)

• You could also re-read the class Power of Reading text at home once it has been finished in class.

• Visit the library and set up a reading area at home

• To encourage your child’s enthusiasm for writing you could set up a writing area at home with a selection of different papers and encourage your child to make mini books (see handout).

How you can support at home

handout).

• Encourage children to have a go at doing some independent writing linked to their text. For example making their own fact book about linked to the text, writing a diary for one of the story characters or a letter.

Any questions about Power of Reading?