Improving Literacy in the Primary School

One of the most important challenges teachers face is making sure children can read. It is an absolutely crucial skill, and current educational policy is giving it a very high priority. Based on one of the largest studies ever undertaken of what primary schools do to improve literacy, this book reports what Professor Ted Wragg and his research team found. The importance placed on literacy has never been greater. When children learn to read, they are laying the foundations for their entire educational future. Effective teachers can make a huge difference, as a poor start can hinder children throughout their schooling and beyond. By looking at what actually goes on in classrooms, this volume provides an invaluable insight into what happens to children and how their reading progresses. It shows how particular teachers manage the improvement of their pupils' reading levels, and also follows individual pupils through a school year. This is a very readbale account of a fascinating and crucial area of research that is highly topical. Every class teacher should read it. Booknews Describes research undertaken during a two-year research project on improving literacy in primary schools in the UK. Looks closely at what actually goes on in classrooms to provide insight into how children's reading progresses. Shows how particular teachers manage the improvement of their pupil's reading levels, and follows individual pupils through a school year. The editors are all at the School of Education at the University of Exeter. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) BOOK COVER......Page 1 HALF-TITLE......Page 2 TITLE......Page 3 COPYRIGHT......Page 4 CONTENTS......Page 5 TABLES......Page 6 PREFACE......Page 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 8 Introduction......Page 9 ‘Improvement’ and literacy......Page 12 What was studied in the research......Page 14 The four major studies......Page 17 Classroom observation......Page 18 Samples......Page 20 The effect of schooling and ‘effective’ schools......Page 23 Improving schools......Page 26 Effective teachers......Page 29 Concepts of ‘literacy’......Page 32 Teaching reading......Page 34 Fluent readers and successful beginners......Page 35 Phonological awareness......Page 36 Teaching methods......Page 37 Enthusiastic readers......Page 38 The contribution of parents......Page 39 3 THE NATIONAL SURVEY......Page 41 Organisation and the role of the language co-ordinator......Page 42 The teaching of reading......Page 45 Reading schemes, books and teaching methods......Page 46 Current initiatives—involving parents......Page 48 Current initiatives—evaluating policy and changing organisation......Page 51 Children with reading difficulties......Page 53 How can reading standards be improved?......Page 54 Baseline assessment......Page 59 Target setting......Page 63 Constraints......Page 65 Local authorities after 1988......Page 69 The study of four LEAs......Page 70 Policy and practice in Birmingham......Page 74 Local authority initiatives and schools’ responses to them......Page 78 A case of ‘self-help’ in a new town......Page 84 Schools’ perceptions of ‘good’ LEA practice......Page 85 5 THE ORGANISATION OF LITERACY IN SCHOOLS AND CLASSROOMS......Page 89 Experience and training in the teaching of literacy......Page 91 Definitions of literacy......Page 93 Responsibility for literacy......Page 95 The role of the post-holder......Page 96 Literacy policies......Page 98 Post-holders’ conditions of work......Page 100 Budgets, resources and support......Page 101 Assessment, monitoring and record keeping......Page 102 Target setting......Page 106 The road to improvement......Page 109 The thirty-five case study teachers......Page 111 Group reading......Page 112 ‘Quiet reading’......Page 116 Paired reading......Page 118 Teacher reading to the class......Page 122 Big books......Page 125 Reading as a stimulus for writing......Page 126 Children’s own personalised and self-made books......Page 128 Writing for an audience......Page 129 Information technology......Page 131 Celebration and rewards......Page 133 Displays......Page 135 Teachers’ perceptions of successful and less successful activities......Page 136 Phonics teaching......Page 139 Look and say......Page 144 Hearing children read......Page 146 Writing and spelling......Page 151 Punctuation......Page 152 Making progress in reading......Page 155 Reading materials and resources......Page 156 Analysis of text......Page 158 Poetry......Page 159 Story tapes......Page 161 Plays......Page 162 Pragmatism in practice......Page 163 Support personnel in the classroom......Page 165 The role of parents......Page 167 Parents’ perceptions of schools’ information and advice about reading......Page 171 Taking books home......Page 173 Parents’ accounts of their experiences sharing the school reading book with their child......Page 175 Parents in the classroom......Page 178 Classroom assistants......Page 179 Library support......Page 181 Miss Dobson—Reception teacher......Page 183 Miss Brown—Year 1......Page 186 Miss Stinton—Year 2......Page 190 Mrs Hutchings—Year 2/3......Page 193 Miss Lansbury—Year 3......Page 197 Mrs Turner—Year 5......Page 199 Common features and differences......Page 201 10 THE PUPIL PERSPECTIVE......Page 205 Did pupils ‘improve’?......Page 207 Pupils’ reading......Page 209 Reading with adults......Page 211 Reading strategies......Page 214 Boys and girls......Page 216 Boys’ and girls’ ratings of their own characteristics......Page 217 Boy—girl test score comparisons......Page 219 Salient boy—girl comparisons......Page 221 How pupils see themselves—what they said in interviews......Page 222 Perceived purposes of reading......Page 223 The ‘improvers’......Page 225 Joseph, aged 6, Year 2......Page 230 Miriam, aged 9, Year 5......Page 233 Marcus, aged 10, Year 6......Page 236 Craig, aged 5, Year 1......Page 238 Andrew, aged 9, Year 5......Page 240 Four ‘improvers’......Page 241 Amina, aged 5, Reception......Page 242 Rachel, aged 7, Year 3......Page 243 Charlotte, aged 4, Reception......Page 244 David, aged 9, Year 5......Page 245 A big sinker and an improver within the same class......Page 247 Different patterns of improvement......Page 250 12 IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE......Page 252 Local authorities......Page 253 Schools......Page 255 Teachers and classrooms......Page 256 Pupils......Page 259 Parents and home......Page 262 The performance of boys......Page 264 Foundations for a literate society......Page 269 BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 270 INDEX......Page 278 This book reports on one of the largest studies ever undertaken in Great Britain of what primary schools do to improve literacy and what is going on in classrooms where improvements are taking place. The Leverhulme Primary Improvement Project was a 2-year research project funded by the Leverhulme Trust. The book aims to provide insight into what happens to children and how their reading progresses. It shows how particular teachers manage the improvement of their pupils' reading levels and also follows individual pupils through a school year. According to the book, there were four interlinked studies in the research: Study 1 was a questionnaire survey about practice within primary schools completed by head teachers or language coordinators from a national sample of 1395 schools; Study 2 involved the investigation of practice in four different local authorities, one of which was Birmingham; Study 3 comprised the case studies of 35 class teachers carried out over a full school year; and Study 4 involved intensive case studies of 258 pupils. Chapters in the book describe a comprehensive study of literacy teaching at several levels, from what happens in a large local education authority to the events taking place in a small rural classroom. (Contains 18 tables and an approximately 200-item bibliography.) (NKA) One of the most important challenges teachers face is making sure children can read. It is an absolutely crucial skill, and current educational policy is giving it a very high priority.
Based on one of the largest studies ever undertaken of what primary schools do to improve literacy, this book reports what Professor Ted Wragg and his research team found.
The importance placed on literacy has never been greater. When children learn to read, they are laying the foundations for their entire educational future. Effective teachers can make a huge difference, as a poor start can hinder children throughout their schooling and beyond.
By looking at what actually goes on in classrooms, this volume provides an invaluable insight into what happens to children and how their reading progresses. It shows how particular teachers manage the improvement of their pupils' reading levels, and also follows individual pupils through a school year.
This is a very readbale account of a fascinating and crucial area of research that is highly topical. Every class teacher should read it. School policies, classroom practices, the views and behaviour of teachers, children and parents, are all explored thoroughly in a book which should make a significant impact on policy and practice in primary education Based on one of the largest studies ever undertaken on what primary schools do to improve literacy, this book reports the findings of Professor Ted Wragg and his research team