Phonics and literacy tutorial

1. Phonics and literacy tutorial BLOCK B 2014

2. Trainees’ experience before the tutorial • All secondary trainees experienced a Professional Practice session on phonics and literacy in November 2013. They all observed the teaching of phonics and early reading when on primary placement in January, and completed a phonics observation sheet, a copy of which was handed in to personal tutors and formed part of review 3. Trainees have engaged with phonics reading and materials, specifically (but do remind to re-read before tutorial): • DfES (2006) Independent review of the teaching of early reading (Rose Review). London: HMSO https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/0201-2006PDF-EN-01.pdf • Ofsted (2010) Reading by six: how the best schools do it. London: HMSO • http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/reading-six-how-best-schools-do-it • Chapter 2 of Harrison, C. ( 2004) Understanding Reading Development. London: Sage Publications.

3. Aims of tutorial • To review trainees’ reflections on the primary placement having engaged with phonics reading and materials. • To investigate how that observation and reflection can be brought forward into a secondary context. • To analyse sample texts for literacy difficulties, including those deriving from phoneme – grapheme correspondences. • For trainees to bring further developed ideas for discussion with SEN staff at Block B. • For mentors to reflect on the session outcomes and feedback to university, at conference and by responding to a questionnaire.

4. Activities (discussion with PM or designate): • 1. Trainees are invited by mentors to recollect and consider their primary school or equivalent experiences. They should bring their phonics observation sheet. • Prompt questions: • What makes reading challenging? • What makes reading in English potentially challenging? • What role does phonics play? • Which phoneme-grapheme correspondences are the most problematic in your view? • What difficulties might learners experience with language comprehension and why? • What other strategies do trainees need? • In what ways is literacy teaching connected with other subject areas in primary school? • Is the teaching of reading organised and arranged differently in primary school, e.g., in different spaces with a range of staff?

5. 2. Trainees are invited by mentors to consider connections to secondary context. • Suggested prompt questions: •  What are the reading and writing demands of your subject area? • What difficulties do pupils in years 7 and 8 reveal that are similar to those you observed during your primary experience? • Do you find these difficulties continuing, perhaps in different forms, into year 9 and beyond? • Do you have any thoughts about how pupils experience making the transition from primary to secondary?

6. 3) Trainees and mentors review sample texts. These will be sent by email, but PMs may wish to use their own. - What kinds of literacy difficulties are being experienced by the writer? - How do literacy difficulties manifest differently in different subjects?| - Can you identify any patterns or regularities? - What strategies might be useful to address the difficulties? • Can you think of cross-curricular approaches that might benefit the learner? 4) Learning points and further action identified by mentors and trainees.

7. Further activities 5) Trainees write a summary of what they have learned following the session (what has the impact this been on their understanding of phonics and literacy development?) and add to their Record of Professional development. 6) Trainees arrange to observe teaching in SEN department and then work with individual pupil. Trainees then add a further summary to RPD, considering the impact of their intervention on the pupil’s progress. PMs please see both summaries and sign them off. Mentors will be asked to complete an evaluation which will be sent by the university All enquiries to: Gee Macrory g.macrory@mmu.ac.uk or Christopher Hanley c.t.hanley@mmu.ac.uk