Reading Practice Intensive Day 1

 Website link to RPI

Day one : Reading is Core

We are the first RPI group for Manaiakalani. This is a 3 term professional development and sessions will be held every three weeks. My mentor for RPI is Robyn Anderson and we will be meeting after each session to discuss my goals and track progress.

Goals for RPI:

• Teachers are supported to acquire content and practice knowledge to influence high quality reading outcomes.
• Teachers are supported to impact learner dispositions, skills and independence as lifelong readers.  
• Teachers are supported to use tools and methods for effective reading assessment, programme planning, design and differentiation. 
• Teachers are supported to implement, sustain and improve on the Manaiakalani reading practice model within their school context.

Session Structure

The reason for RPI is due to the large push on literacy. Our learners come in at a lower educational ability and it is essential to accelerate them higher and in smaller amount of time. The effect of poor literacy goes with someone throughout their whole life. Poor readers are more likely to be unemployed, engage in more risky health behaviour, more likely to offend and have lower wellbeing.

Dorothy Burt Presentation

What characterisers a good reader?

A good reader is able to comprehend a large variety of texts, they read to learn, participate in communities of readers and they enjoy it.

Making meaning is an active process. They use a processing system, use knowledge of the text and structures, vocabulary knowledge and they read critically.

Good readers use strategies. They predict, visualise, connect, question, clarify and evaluate. They enjoy reading and become emotionally invested in what is being read. A good reader requires engagement and motivation. They need to develop independent engagement and motivation. 

Creating a reader profile can help a teacher understand more about your learners. By simply asking what they enjoy reading, how often they read, if they think they're good readers, etc. can give so much information.

Reading across the curriculum:

Reading happens in all parts of education. Reading is all around it and it transfers into everything around us. Explicitly linking the content to other things helps in terms of building on prior knowledge and helps learners understand why they are learning what they are. Extending ideas from their prior knowledge by making connections is essential. 

An investigation was taken by Robyn Anderson which was based around reading for enjoyment. This inquiry showed the learners had a lack of enjoyment when reading at the start but by the end, many were thoroughly enjoying their RFE time each day and continued it throughout the holidays. Each RFE time they had activities that went along with the reading itself. The learners themselves, analysed the data received and made some interesting points. Using Google forms, formative data and student voice Robyn carried out this inquiry and received a very interesting outcome.

Have a look at the link above to see more about this inquiry by Robyn.

Discussion About Text 

Discussing what has been read is essential when it comes to learners comprehending the text. It helps build their vocabulary and extend their ideas. 

Establishing ground rules is something that needs to be done at the start of the year and a reminder during the lessons, in order to have a high quality discussion. 

Reflection on what I need to work towards strengthening and implementing in my reading practice.

We were given a range of 4 readings to choose from. I chose to read further about self efficacy in reading. 

"Allowing young children to make even a minimal task choice increased learning from the task and enhanced subsequent interest" 

I found this quote incredibly interesting as allowing students to make choices in their learning this rises engagement and motivation to complete the task. Adding something as simple as allowing them to choose the book or the create task can do exactly this. Simple yet effective. 

Finding the four key topics we have talked about today in a sample lesson. 

Reflection:

Today there has been a large amount of information and studies that back up Manaiakalani's pedagogy of learn, create and share. Each aspect plays a role in the acceleration of our our learners' knowledge. Allowing learners to have the opportunity to choose something within their learning can increase their motivation and interest. This is such a simple yet effective way to engage more students in their learning. 

A great resource to look back on would be the sample lesson. This has a variety of activities that encompass everything that was talked about in this session (good reader profile, reading across the curriculum, extended discussion and pillars for growing good readers).