Supporting readers

1. Supporting readers

2. Vygotsky’s zone of proximal developmentStudents learn most and best when they are engaged in challenging work that they can do with appropriate support; work which is in between what they can do independently and what they cannot do, even with support.

3. Gradual release of responsibility Role of the teacher MODELLING The teacher demonstrates and explains the literacy focus being taught. This is achieved by thinking aloud the mental processes and modelling the reading, writing, speaking and listening GUIDING The teacher provides scaffolds for students to use the literacy focus. Teacher provides feedback APPLYING The teacher offers support and encouragement when necessary SHARING The teacher continues to demonstrate the literacy focus, encouraging students to contribute ideas and information The student works independently to apply the use of literacy focus DEGREE OF CONTROL Students work with help from the teacher and peers to practise the use of the literacy focus Students contribute ideas and begin to practise the use of the literacy focus in whole class situations The student participates by actively attending to the demonstrations 3 Pearson & Gallagher Role of the student 8

4. Purposeful teaching Students need: • direct instruction • explicit modelling that makes ‘visible’ what competent readers and writers do • specific feedback • clear learning goals and intentions • multiple opportunities and time to practise new skills • learning tasks which are aligned to their needs

5. Learning intentions • What do my students already know or are able to do? • What do I want my students to know or be able to do at the end of this lesson? • How will I know if it has been achieved? • How will they know?

6. Lesson structure

7. Differentiating the Curriculum

8. Adapting a taskby differentiating or scaffolding

9. ScaffoldingThe purposeful use of guidance and support (through the deliberate use of instructional strategies) while handing over responsibility progressively to the learner. Students new learning builds on what they already know and can do. Deliberate acts of teaching include: • modelling • prompting • wait time • questioning • giving feedback • telling • explaining • directing

10. Strategies for comprehending text • Making connections between texts and prior knowledge • Forming and testing hypotheses about texts • Asking questions about texts • Creating mental images or visualising • Inferring meaning from text • Identifying author’s purpose and point of view • Summarising information in text • Analysing and synthesising ideas and information in text • Evaluating ideas and information.

11. Word splashIt provides a useful framework for eliciting students’ prior knowledge before reading; encourages and develops prediction skills and explores connections and speculates on possibilities • Read through the text. • Decide on key words, phrases and concepts in the text that will provide cues for your students or that may need clarification. • Type or write these onto a sheet of paper • Allow students a few minutes to read through and discuss with others the listed words and phrases. They may ask others for clarification or elaboration of some items. Allow them to make predictions and connections between words in the text. • Read the text and return to the word splash to discuss the words within the context of the text.

13. True, false, I’m not sureTo develop student’s critical thinking skills. • Students are given a collection of statements about, or from, the text. • In pairs they sort the statements into 3 groups, with reasons for each placement: • Statements they believe are true • Statements they believe are false • Statements they are unsure about • They read the text to check their accuracy.

14. Read to remember everythingTo assist students in developing summarising skills with non-fiction texts. • Select an appropriate piece of text. • Ask students to read to remember as much as they can about the topic. • Students read the piece of text independently. • Close books or cover text. • As a whole group recall as many facts as possible (no discussion, comments or explanations). • Review the list, answering questions, looking for inconsistencies or omissions. • Classify the information and give titles (bundling). • Use each sub-heading and facts to write a summary paragraph.

15. Exclusion brainstormingTo activate students’ prior knowledge and expand understanding about a content topic before reading.Works well with fiction, non-fiction and visual text such as video clips. • Write a list of words related to the topic, including some which do not fit. • Work in pairs to decide which words are related, circling those which they believe are not related. • Discuss choices, justifying the inclusion or exclusion of words. • Read the text, check the list, adding new words to their lists.

16. Literacy in the learning areas • curriculum • language • worms • education • effective • text • anthropology • sounds • multiplication • meaning • strategy • vocabulary • recipe • Aboriginal • purpose • inferential • science • oxygen • practice • resource

17. Predictogram(or probable passages) Key vocabulary: mother baby sang grew boy teenager grandma dinner table My predictions: Characters Setting Events Problem Solution

18. Anticipation guideTo activate and assess students’ prior knowledge, to focus reading or viewing and engage reluctant readers by stimulating their interest in the topic. • Identify the concepts and decide how they might challenge or support students’ beliefs. • Create 4-6 statements which address important points, major concepts, controversial ideas or misconceptions, not simple, literal statements. • Students work in pairs or individually to react , form a response and justification for each statement. • Discuss as class. Read to find evidence to support or reject their response. • Confirm, revise or seek additional information

19. Fit to drink? Agree or disagree, justify, then read to find evidence to support or disprove your beliefs.

20. Have a go!