# data[].attributes.headline
Slides from module one (implementation: where to begin?)

# data[].attributes.subject
Slides from module one (implementation: where to begin?)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Copy for pdf of Module 1 - implementation_ where to begin_ (1)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
module 3 - speech and language_ the golden thread

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Module 5 - Rethinking Reading Comprehension

# data[].attributes.headline
Putting Evidence to Work: a School's Guide to Implementation

# data[].attributes.subject
Putting Evidence to Work: a School's Guide to Implementation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Maximise the impact of new approaches and practices.

# data[].attributes.body
...to RAG rate and support conversations between school leaders.

# data[].attributes.headline
Self-assessment of foundations for good implementation

# data[].attributes.subject
Self-assessment of foundations for good implementation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Implementation (R1&R2) foundations - Self-assessment grid

# data[].attributes.body
A treasure trove of free cognitive science resources, including the model of memory shared in module one.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Devoted to visualising educational concepts and processes

# data[].attributes.headline
Why don't students like school? Because the mind is not designed for thinking (Daniel T. Willingham)

# data[].attributes.subject
Why don't students like school? Because the mind is not designed for thinking (Daniel T. Willingham)

# data[].attributes.body
A reproduced extract from Daniel T. Willingham's seminal book 'Why Don't Students Like School?: A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for the Classroom'

Read this for a 'deeper dive' into the simple model of memory proposed in module one.

# data[].attributes.headline
Think of a project you were involved with, that despite the best intentions, lost momentum and faded away. What's your experience of this? What do you think were the reasons why?

# data[].attributes.subject
Think of a project you were involved with, that despite the best intentions, lost momentum and faded away. What's your experience of this? What do you think were the reasons why?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
When Implementation Goes Wrong! (from module 1 chat)

# data[].attributes.headline
Strategies for new vocabulary instruction

# data[].attributes.subject
Strategies for new vocabulary instruction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
3. CTVG. Seven Strategies for Exploring Unfamiliar Vocabulary

# data[].attributes.headline
How Schools are Closing the Word Gap (Oxford Language Report 2021-22)

# data[].attributes.subject
How Schools are Closing the Word Gap (Oxford Language Report 2021-22)

# data[].attributes.body
To read the other reports from Oxford University Press, visit https://global.oup.com/education/content/dictionaries/key-issues/word-gap/?region=uk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Victoria Day EY Language Webinar EYFS Billesley Research School.pptx

# data[].attributes.headline
Speak For Change (2021) by The Oracy All-Party Parliamentary Group

# data[].attributes.subject
Speak For Change (2021) by The Oracy All-Party Parliamentary Group

# data[].attributes.headline
The Oracy Skills Framework and Glossary from Voice 21 and Oracy Cambridge

# data[].attributes.subject
The Oracy Skills Framework and Glossary from Voice 21 and Oracy Cambridge

# data[].attributes.body
For more resources visit voice21.org

# data[].attributes.body
For more resources visit voice21.org

# data[].attributes.body
For more resources visit voice21.org

# data[].attributes.body
EEF evaluation of 'Dialogic Teaching - Improving children’s learning by improving the quality of classroom talk.'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We know that the nature and quality of teaching practice in the classroom has a big impact on pupil learning. Pilots of dialogic teaching in the UK have suggested that it can change teachers' practice, and there is other evidence that cognitively challenging classroom talk can lead to gains for pupils in language, mathematics and science, but this is the first trial of this approach.

This trial found consistent, positive effects in English, science and maths for all children in Year 5, equivalent to about 2 months additional progress. The result was similar when looking only at children eligible for free school meals. This is consistent with other EEF trials focusing on cognitively challenging talk, such as Philosophy for Children, and Thinking, Doing, Talking Science. The consistent results across subjects and the lack of any subject specific content in the training suggest that the approach may improve children's overall thinking and learning skills rather than their knowledge in a given topic.

The majority of teachers felt they needed more than two terms to fully embed the approach in their classrooms and thought it would have more impact over a longer time period

EEF will explore options for testing the approach using a model that could be made available to a large number of schools.

An addendum to the report was published in April 2019, which did not find an impact on KS2 results. No process evaluation was conducted as part of this follow-up, and it is likely that many schools did not implement the programme in Year 6, prior to the KS2 testing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
the project    this programme aims to improve the quality of classroom talk as a means to increasing pupils' engagement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
learning and attainment. it will develop and test a training programme which uses video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
print materials and in-school mentoring. the approach

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
is based on the belief that the improvement of classroom talk requires attention to the speaking skills of the teacher as well as to children's developing oral capacities. it emphasises dialogue through which pupils learn to reason

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
argue and explain as well as merely respond

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
in order to develop their higher order thinking as well as their articulacy. the intervention will be developed by professors robin alexander and frank hardman.  why are we funding it?    oral language interventions consistently show positive benefits on learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
including oral language skills and reading comprehension. there is also evidence that cognitively-challenging classroom talk can lead to gains in language

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
mathematics and science. pilots in barking and dagenham

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
and north yorkshire have shown that the approach is feasible

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
and leads to changes in teaching practices and learning outcomes. building on promising studies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
a more rigorous evaluation of the impact of dialogic teaching on children’s learning is needed before the initiative is taken to scale.  how are we evaluating it?    the evaluation will be conducted by a team from sheffield hallam university

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
led by tim jay. the project involves a phase of development work to define the materials and training

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
and pilot these in around 10 schools. the main trial is structured as a randomised controlled trial involving around 80 schools. click here to view the evaluation protocol.  when will the evaluation report be due?    the evaluation report will be published in summer 2017.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We know that the nature and quality of teaching practice in the classroom has a big impact on pupil learning. Pilots of dialogic teaching in the UK have suggested that it can change teachers' practice, and there is other evidence that cognitively challenging classroom talk can lead to gains for pupils in language, mathematics and science, but this is the first trial of this approach.

# data[].attributes.headline
Webinar: Dialogic Teaching Revisited – More important now than ever?

# data[].attributes.subject
Webinar: Dialogic Teaching Revisited – More important now than ever?

# data[].attributes.body
Professor Robin Alexander presents on his work around Dialogic Teaching for the Chartered College of Teaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Professor Robin Alexander presents on his work around Dialogic Teaching

Back in 2001, Professor Robin Alexander of Cambridge University coined the term 'dialogic teaching' for his approach to enhancing children's engagement and learning through high-quality classroom talk, which he then developed and refined by working with teachers in London, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester. In 2014-17, its successful large-scale trial by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), in Birmingham, Bradford and Leeds, provided conclusive evidence that dialogic teaching significantly improves pupil learning outcomes across the curriculum. To date, it is one of only 17 out of the 190 EEF trials to have achieved such positive results.

Robin Alexander has now published A Dialogic Teaching Companion (Routledge 2020) , which builds on this work, reviews the latest evidence about the vital relationship between talking, thinking, learning and teaching, and provides a revised and expanded version of his dialogic teaching framework.

In this webinar recording, Robin Alexander was joined by Dame Alison Peacock, Chief Executive of the Chartered College, to discuss these issues and the added challenge of sustaining high-quality talk in the context of Covid-19, in a presentation entitled Dialogic Teaching Revisited - more important now than ever?

Why, at this time, is high quality classroom talk so important for children and society?

What are its essential ingredients?

What's new about the latest version of dialogic teaching?

What does the Education Endowment Foundation evidence show?

What is it about dialogic teaching that makes the difference?

How might schools build dialogic teaching into their development planning?

About Professor Robin Alexander

Professor Robin Alexander's long career began with teaching in schools. Since then he has held senior posts in universities in Britain and overseas, worked with thousands of trainee and serving teachers and school leaders, researched and published extensively on many aspects of education, advised several governments, directed national enquiries like the Cambridge Primary Review, and received international awards for his work.

Shared links, files and suggested reading:

From the event

A Dialogic Teaching Companion (2020) - Professor Robin Alexander

Publisher's information - Routledge

More on questions and questioning, including examples of different kinds of questions, and indeed more on the other key moves like extending, discussing and deliberation/argumentation (see Chapter 7)

There are links to video examples and to transcripts of lesson extracts (see Appendix 2)

CPD options, with practical suggestions for professional and school development (see Chapter 8)

More about 'ingredient X', or what it is about dialogic teaching, in light of the research evidence, that makes a difference (see Chapter 6)

Articles from Impact on Dialogic Teaching:

The Education Endowment Foundation Dialogic Teaching Project

Oracy All-Party Parliamentary Group

Robin Alexander's website

Interested in content on this theme?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Webinar: Dialogic Teaching Revisited - More important now than ever? * Chartered College of Teaching

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Back in 2001, Professor Robin Alexander of Cambridge University coined the term 'dialogic teaching' for his approach to enhancing children's engagement and learning through high-quality classroom talk, which he then developed and refined by working with teachers in London, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.

# data[].attributes.body
Progression in Language Structures for Different Types of Talk

# data[].attributes.headline
Five Ways to: Scaffold Classroom Dialogue by Tom Sherrington

# data[].attributes.subject
Five Ways to: Scaffold Classroom Dialogue by Tom Sherrington

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Five Ways. A series of short posts summarising some everyday classroom practices.

The essence of scaffolding is that students are elevated to a level of performance and thinking that they couldn't achieve unaided. It opens up new possibilities. By practising in a supported way they extend their knowledge and form new habits. Then, with the supports gradually removed, they learn to use their knowledge independently. This approach is commonly deployed with written tasks but can make a big impact on student talk. Very often students benefit from specific scaffolds that help them to organise their ideas during discussions and question and answer sessions, producing more sophisticated responses than they would otherwise.

Here are five ways to scaffold classroom dialogue - in each case the scaffold needs to be modelled, rehearsed, practised and then, after a time, removed so students are encouraged to use the structure spontaneously.

Full Sentences

On obvious but powerful example. Students often offer half-formed minimal answers. Asking them to reframe in a full sentence makes them practise a wider range of vocabulary, consolidating their understanding and building fluency with formal speech:

What's the key difference between these types of materials? .... Joanna?

Metals and non-metals.

Well done. Now put that in a sentence for me.

The main difference is that some of the materials are metals but the others are non-metals.

Step-up the vocab

Students often naturally gravitate to using words they are already comfortable using, avoiding newer words in case they are wrong or because they're not yet confident enough to use them. State specific target words, writing them on the board, or referring to them in a text and then ask students to reframe answers include these specific words.

Let's describe the graph. What pattern does it show?...... Abdi?

The line goes up and then goes up less steeply.

Yes. Good - but now let's include some of the key words: - and say what is actually changing. (gradient, increase, decrease are written on the board)

Ok.... the temperature increases but then after two minutes, the gradient decreases which means temperature rises more slowly.

What was the witch in the story like? .. Safia, what do you think? (Choose words from the board)

The witch was cruel and mischievous. (Safia would otherwise have gone for 'mean')

That's lovely well done.

Sequence the ideas.

A common challenge is simply to present more than one idea and then to organise them into a sequence. These scaffolds help students to do that. For example, ask students to describe a series of events, use Think Pair Share for rehearsal and then ask them to give their response in the specific form of the scaffold:

At first, then:

At first, the boy was exploring in the forest; then he lost his way and became frightened.

At first the ice was heating up; then it began to melt.

Firstly, secondly and finally:

Firstly, they would build a castle; secondly, they would defend it with archers and finally, they would fire a cannon towards the opposing army.

For a cause and effect, link use If... then.... or ' As a consequence of______ , ________

If water seeps into the cracks, then it will freeze and expand creating pressure on the rock.

As a consequence of the bridge collapsing, the army could not advance across the river.

Express an opinion

Several simple scaffolds can be used to support students to express opinions in formal manner, helping them to explore their ideas and distinguish between facts and opinions in general. They can also be used as a form of checking for understanding and accountability for listening to others in the class.
In my opinion_______

In my opinion, it's immoral for some people to be so much richer than other people.

I agree/disagree that____, because_______ (the 'that' makes them restate the case, which adds depth to the exchange).

I agree that Picasso's work is the most significant, because he had the most radical influence on other artists' work.

I agree/disagree with _____, because ___________ (the 'with' refers to another person's opinion or analysis)

I disagree with Michael because I think everyone has a responsibility to protect each other, not just think about their own risk.

Comparison and analysis

A common form of analysis and schema-building is to compare, contrast and categorise. Students often benefit from prompts that support this kind of response.
On one hand.. but on the other hand ...

On one hand, the economy in Iceland is boosted by eco-tourism but on the other hand it creates more carbon emissions through flights.

An advantage is____ ; a disadvantage is_____

An advantage of producing more is that the price comes down; a disadvantage is that it creates more waste.

In the past _____ but now _____

In the past people relied on word of mouth or official announcements but now everyone can access news directly via the media.
Both, however, whereas

Both poems use imagery from nature. However poem A is describing a real place whereas poem B is using nature as a metaphor.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Five Ways to: Scaffold Classroom Dialogue

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Five Ways. A series of short posts summarising some everyday classroom practices. The essence of scaffolding is that students are elevated to a level of performance and thinking that they couldn't achieve unaided. It opens up new possibilities. By practising in a supported way they extend their knowledge and form new habits.

# data[].attributes.body
(from KS1 guidance report and Victoria's presentation)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Module 4 - reading fluency_ a bridge to reading comprehension

# data[].attributes.body
Reading expressively matters in the development of reading |

Paula J. Schwanenflugel, Ph.D., and Nancy Flanagan Knapp, Ph.D.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When good readers read aloud, it sounds like music. The music of reading aloud is called reading prosody, or, in everyday language, reading with expression. Researchers looking at reading prosody study the precise variations in pitch and volume readers place on some words in sentences, the elongation that they place on some syllables within words, and the rhythmic and pausing patterns that determine the general flow of the reading as people read aloud. Try reading this little passage we wrote aloud and listen to all the ways your voice changes while you are reading:

Every day Lucia and Alice rode their bikes through the neighborhood. As they got older, they found themselves riding further and further. Eventually, the increase in the distance that they wandered led them far away from their homes. In fact, one day they became quite lost. They eventually came upon two dirt roads right next to each other leading in opposite directions. Not knowing what to do, they looked at both. Lucia wondered, "Should we go down one of these roads?" Alice pointed to one. She answered decisively, ''Let's try that one.'' She then darted out ahead and was soon gone. Lucia got worried and yelled loudly, "Come back!" But Alice didn't want to come back. So, Lucia pedaled as hard as she could to increase her speed to catch up.

While reading aloud, you most likely heard yourself pause briefly here and there, generally at the ends of sentences, and perhaps at some commas. You probably did not interject unnatural silences in the middle of a phrase by reading " two dirt _________ roads that began right next ____ to each other." Most good readers do not. You probably marked the end of each sentence with a distinct change in pitch. That is, your voice tracked upwards for the yes-no question Should we go down one of these roads? but downwards for But Alice didn't want to come back. That downward pitch clearly signaled that you had finished reading the sentence.

You might have read everything within quotes with a raised pitch compared to the rest of the passage, as most good readers do. Compare how you read the word one in these two sentences Alice pointed to one. She answered decisively, ''Let's try that one.'' The second instance of one might have been read with a bit of a raise in pitch because it occurred within a quote. You may have read the words come back in the sentence Lucia got worried and yelled loudly, "Come back!" with greater loudness and lengthening, and with a raised pitch compared to the same phrase in the sentence Alice didn't want to come back. When the texts suggested that the characters were focusing on one particular item of two (as in ... let's try that one), you probably emphasized the word that. All good readers do this.

Finally, you probably read each word with an emphasis placed on the correct syllable within that word. For example, you most likely emphasized the first syllable of the noun increase (read as INcrease) that occurred early in the passage, while emphasizing the second syllable in the verb form that occurred later (as inCREASE). You probably emphasized content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) while de-emphasizing words such as t o, the, a, who, would, might, etc.

If you listened carefully when you read that passage aloud, you can see that your reading had many of the same qualities that music does. There was a melody -that is, your pitch went up and down. There was musical phrasing and color-you put just the right amount of emphasis in the right places. There was a rhythmic timing-you could more-or-less clap your hands to the words as you read aloud. The similarities showed in your brain patterns, too, where the same sectors associated with music (the left primary auditory cortex and the right prefrontal cortex) most likely came alive while you read aloud (Patel, Peretez, Tramo, & Labreque, 1998).

Of course, there is nothing special about oral reading in all of this. Ordinary speech makes all these same prosodic distinctions that reading does and generally even more strongly. For most adults, oral reading is generally a bit flatter than their everyday speech. Indeed, a good bit of training is required for newscasters and actors to learn to read their lines in a way that sounds perfectly natural (Wennerstrom, 2001).

We probably both read and speak expressively to better communicate our message to others. All the pitch variations, emphases, and meaningful pauses help listeners receive and comprehend your message. They help the listener break up your message into useful chunks of information and focus on the key information. Prosody in speech is one way to increase the salience and importance of some ideas over others. Expressive reading does the same thing, giving priority to important words and ideas, and helping to segment the text acoustically into groupings that belong together-words in a phrase, words in a sentence, paragraph changes, etc. An expressionless or misprosodic oral reading is much harder to comprehend.

Your own prosody while reading may even help you with comprehension, too. It provides you with auditory feedback that helps to better specify the meaning of the message. For instance, you can use the auditory feedback from your own voice to catch the fact that you might have read (or said) the wrong word. Indeed, when you are having a hard time understanding something you are reading to yourself, reading the text aloud with good prosody can help.

Why does any of this matter? Paula has carried out research examining the development of oral reading prosody in children who are just learning to read (Benjamin et al., 2013; Schwanenflugel et al., 2016). When they first begin to read connected text, children usually read without good prosody. They show many long, erratically placed pauses and stutters. They barely mark the end of a sentence with the pitch change that tells you that they have completed it. They don't show much emphasis on the right syllables within words nor do they emphasize important segments of text during their reading. They do not make noticeable pitch rises for questions.

As children develop better reading skills, they begin to sound more and more like an adult in their community who is reading the same passage. They start making the same variations in pitch, they pause in the same places, and they emphasize the same segments in text. Further, the timing and sequence of these changes is quite robust across region and dialect. Thus, while speakers of African-American dialect may have distinctive speech qualities related to prosody, developing this prosody during reading matters just as much for dialect speakers as it does for other children. Further, these changes in reading prosody are related to children's ability to comprehend what they read, quite possibly for the reasons that we described earlier. That is, children who read aloud with good expression tend to comprehend what they are reading better.

What does this mean for parents and teachers and others who care about helping children learn to read well? We think that that adults can listen to children read aloud every day. Doing this will not only give them a pretty good sense of how children's reading skills are developing in general, but can encourage children to develop good reading prosody-to better find the music, as well as the meaning, in their reading.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When good readers read aloud, it sounds like music. The music of reading aloud is called reading prosody, or, in everyday language, reading with expression. Researchers looking at reading prosody study the precise variations in pitch and volume readers place on some words in sentences, the elongation that they place on some syllables within words, and the rhythmic and pausing patterns that determine the general flow of the reading as people read aloud.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Reading Comprehension House from Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2 update

# data[].attributes.subject
The Reading Comprehension House from Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2 update

# data[].attributes.headline
Ending the Reading Wars: Reading Acquisition From Novice to Expert

# data[].attributes.subject
Ending the Reading Wars: Reading Acquisition From Novice to Expert

# data[].attributes.body
Original article: Castles, A., Rastle, K., & Nation, K. (2018)

# data[].attributes.headline
An Introduction to Phonics by Christopher Such

# data[].attributes.subject
An Introduction to Phonics by Christopher Such

# data[].attributes.headline
Link to Jamboard for Breakout Rooms (Reader's Theatre Exercise)

# data[].attributes.subject
Link to Jamboard for Breakout Rooms (Reader's Theatre Exercise)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
M4 Jamboard (all groups) - Google Jamboard

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The version of the browser you are using is no longer supported. Please upgrade to a supported browser. Dismiss

# data[].attributes.headline
Approximations for reading fluency adapted for the English education system based on the 2017 Hasbrouck & Tindal Oral Reading Fluency Data.

# data[].attributes.subject
Approximations for reading fluency adapted for the English education system based on the 2017 Hasbrouck & Tindal Oral Reading Fluency Data.

# data[].attributes.body
adapted for English education system by Neil Almond

# data[].attributes.headline
Herts for Learning Reading Fluency Project blog collection

# data[].attributes.subject
Herts for Learning Reading Fluency Project blog collection

# data[].attributes.body
All blogs can also be found at https://www.hertsforlearning.co.uk/teaching-and-learning/research-projects/english-research-projects/ks2-reading-fluency-project under 'Other Blogs'

# data[].attributes.headline
Podcast: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Reading Fluency? (Thinking Deeply About Primary Education)

# data[].attributes.subject
Podcast: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Reading Fluency? (Thinking Deeply About Primary Education)

# data[].attributes.body
with Lloyd-Williams Jones, Christopher Such and Neil Almond

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In this week's episode I'm joined by Christopher Such and Neil Almond as we try to solve a problem like reading fluency. We discuss, amongst other things, what reading fluency is, why pupils might struggle to develop reading fluency and how we can support all pupils in becoming fluent readers. The third instalment in the Christopher Such Reading Trilogy and, unlike Godfather Part III, this won't disappoint.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
episode thirty three: how do you solve a problem like...reading fluency?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
‎Thinking Deeply about Primary Education: Episode Thirty Three: How do you solve a problem like...Reading Fluency? on Apple Podcasts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
‎In this week's episode I'm joined by Christopher Such and Neil Almond as we try to solve a problem like reading fluency. We discuss, amongst other things, what reading fluency is, why pupils might struggle to develop reading fluency and how we can support all pupils in becoming fluent readers.

# data[].attributes.headline
Podcast: The importance of fluency instruction with Tim Rasinski

# data[].attributes.subject
Podcast: The importance of fluency instruction with Tim Rasinski

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Susan and Tim Rasinski, author of The Megabook of Fluency: Strategies and Texts to Engage All Readers, discuss his work at the reading clinic at Kent State University, the aspects of good fluency instruction, what constitutes fluency, and how reading speed is correlated to word recognition and automaticity. He stresses the importance of fluency and finding ways to be artful while teaching reading.
Quotes:
"Fluency is the bridge and we can't ignore it."
"Speed is the consequence of automaticity-automaticity is not the consequence of speed."
Resources:
The Megabook of Fluency: Strategies and Texts to Engage All Readers by Tim Rasinski
Why Reading Should be Hot! by Tim Rasinski
Email: trasinsk@kent.edu
Website with articles and blog: timrasinski.com
Twitter: @trasinski1
Kent State Reading Clinic
Additional resources:
Fluency: The Neglected Reading Goal by Richard Allington
After Decoding: What? by Carol Chomsky
The Method of Repeated Readings by Dr. S. Jay Samuels
Jean Chall's Stages of Reading Development
Tim Shanahan interview on The Science of Reading

Want to discuss the episode? Join our Facebook group Science of Reading: The Community.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
s1-04. the importance of fluency instruction: tim rasinski

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
‎Science of Reading: The Podcast: S1-04. The importance of fluency instruction: Tim Rasinski on Apple Podcasts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
‎Susan and Tim Rasinski, author of The Megabook of Fluency: Strategies and Texts to Engage All Readers, discuss his work at the reading clinic at Kent State University, the aspects of good fluency instruction, what constitutes fluency, and how reading speed is correlated to word recognition and autom...

# data[].attributes.headline
Module Five: Rethinking reading comprehension 

# data[].attributes.subject
Module Five: Rethinking reading comprehension 

# data[].attributes.headline
Reading Communities: Why, What & How? by Teresa Cremin

# data[].attributes.subject
Reading Communities: Why, What & How? by Teresa Cremin

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reading Communities TCremin_2019 (2) (1) (1)

# data[].attributes.headline
Building an Outstanding Reading School: six strategies to make reading for pleasure work in your school

# data[].attributes.subject
Building an Outstanding Reading School: six strategies to make reading for pleasure work in your school

# data[].attributes.body
from James Clements and Oxford School Improvement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Outstanding reading School- James Clements - Session 1 (1)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Reflecting Realities is the first UK study looking at diversity in children's literature. Funded by the Arts Council, our aim is to quantify and evaluate the extent and quality of ethnic representation and diversity in children's publishing in the UK.

# data[].attributes.body
Full of free resources for developing RfP in schools: review your practice surveys, CPD videos and PowerPoints, examples of practice, resources for developing home-school reading communities...

# data[].attributes.headline
'The Reader Teacher' - a website of book recommendations for different ages, topics and tastes!

# data[].attributes.subject
'The Reader Teacher' - a website of book recommendations for different ages, topics and tastes!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
My name's Scott and I'm a primary school teacher from South Wales who loves to read. I'm most often seen with a children's book (or ten!) in hand, searching out the next new addition to read and recommend to my class.

Every child should experience the self-discovery and joy of reading, which means finding the right book for the right child at the right time.

As a child myself, I didn't read much fiction and I favoured non-fiction instead. However, I think this can be explained because of the lack of choice, variety, promotion, representation and awareness of children's literature out there compared to how it vastly improved today - fifteen years later.

We are currently living in a golden age of children's literature. However with all this choice comes greater responsibility in ensuring that the choice is the correct one. This is my website to help you as children, parents, schools and teachers to get to know the books that will help your children to discover a love of reading.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
My name's Scott and I'm a primary school teacher from South Wales who loves to read. I'm most often seen with a children's book (or ten!) in hand, searching out the next new addition to read and recommend to my class.

# data[].attributes.headline
Free online course, Developing Reading for Pleasure: Engaging Young Readers.

# data[].attributes.subject
Free online course, Developing Reading for Pleasure: Engaging Young Readers.

# data[].attributes.body
Aimed at teachers, teaching assistants, school leaders,  reading volunteers, parents and all those interested in nurturing children’s reading, participants will gain knowledge and strategies to help promote reading for pleasure across schools, homes and communities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Free Badged Online Reading for Pleasure Course - Reading for Pleasure

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore current theory, research and debates around supporting children's reading engagement in this free online course, Developing Reading for Pleasure: Engaging Young Readers. Aimed at teachers, teaching assistants, school leaders, reading volunteers, parents and all those interested in nurturing children's reading, participants will gain knowledge and strategies to help promote reading for pleasure across schools, [...]

# data[].attributes.headline
Reading Diaries from 'Teaching English by the Book' by James Clements 

# data[].attributes.subject
Reading Diaries from 'Teaching English by the Book' by James Clements 

# data[].attributes.headline
Making the Most of Story Time from 'Teaching English by the Book' by James Clements

# data[].attributes.subject
Making the Most of Story Time from 'Teaching English by the Book' by James Clements

# data[].attributes.headline
'chrone' example of morphology teaching resource

# data[].attributes.subject
'chrone' example of morphology teaching resource

# data[].attributes.headline
The Base Bank (from jweducation.co.uk blog)

# data[].attributes.subject
The Base Bank (from jweducation.co.uk blog)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"The underlying meaning of etymology is "finding the underlying" or "true meaning of words"." John Ayto, Dictionary of Word Origins

This blog post will collate my weekly 'base cards'. You will be able to download the cards as PDFs. They are hopefully fairly self-explanatory and designed to be understood by key stage two students, but here is a quick guide on how they work with links to further reading and resources.

1. Key information

Here you will find the base being exemplified (written in pink) with a simple icon that illustrates its meaning. In smaller bolded print are listed the main meanings of the base in present day English.

Below this is the origin of the base and its original meaning (which might differ slightly from its current meaning in English). The etymology of words is rich and complex. Words have often arrived into English through circuitous roots, passing through several languages. The origin I have gone with is typically that that provides us the English spelling. I have made the decision not to delve further back into Proto-Indo-European (PIE). The aim in these resources is not to provide a complete understanding of bases and their roots, but a useful starting point for teachers and their students.

2. Example Words

I have selected five words that exemplify the shared meaning of the base element. These words will be those in where the meaning of the base can be most easily discerned. Each word has three representations.

On the left is the word written out but with the base in bold: de pend.

In the centre is the word broken down into first syllables and then sounds using the Sounds & Syllables five-step spelling sequence:d e. You can find a guide to the five-step spelling sequence here.

To the right is the word broken down morphologically: de (from) + pend. This allows you to see all of the morphemes contained within a word. The use of the '+' symbol between morphemes indicates that both the meaning and spelling (with a few affixing patterns applied) of these morphemes can be added to construct both the spelling and meaning of the word. The meaning of each morpheme (except the focus morpheme) is placed in brackets.

It should be noted that the meaning of some morphemes can be complex and difficult to explain in the few brief words that space allows, so the meanings are simple and blunt. Also morphemes carry additional information such as word class (the suffix -ion typically forms nouns, -ous adjectives) and might have different meanings depending upon the word class (un- typically means 'not' before adjectives but 'undo' before verbs). The full Sounds & Syllables curriculum delves more deeply into these subtleties.

Letters in pink indicate a few different things:

a spelling that changes when another morpheme is added: cav + ity + es

a non-syllabic <e> added to a root: de + fine that is dropped when adding another base or suffix.

a connecting vowel letter: chron + o + meter (I shall write a blog post on connecting vowel letters one day)

Below is a brief explanation of the word meaning that ties the separate meanings within each morpheme together. Additional helpful information might be included here too such as explaining that <icle> within chron icle is a variant of <ic> and not the suffix <icle> meaning 'small' (as found in cubicle or particle).

3. Notes, and Twinned and Related Bases

The 'notes' provide a whole range of additional useful information about the base. These might be interesting stories of the base's origin or an interesting etymological story of a word that uses that base. They might be notes on pronunciation or when different spellings of a base might typically be used. Or there might be no notes at all if the base in question is fairly straight forward.

'Twinned' bases are themselves worthy of a blog post. The short version is that twinned bases are different spellings of the same base that originate from the same root. Twinned bases are indicated in this section, where applicable, with sample words of the twinned base. Forn example, <pend> is twinned with <pense>. both from the Latin 'pendere' (to hang, to weigh).

The 'related' section lists words with containing cognates (a common etymological origin) of the focus base, with the base itself in bold such as pond er. Exploring cognates can lead us down some fascinating rabbit holes with a myriad of obscure connections between words. I've chosen to only include cognates that are close in origin, spelling, meaning to the focus morpheme.
4. Morpheme Map
Included is a morpheme map for the target base, which shows a range of words that can be constructed using the target base. *

In the centre of the map is the target morpheme (always a base) with its meaning below. To the left are prefixes and other bases that can precede the focus base, and to the right suffixes and other bases that can follow the focus base. Words can be constructed by following the lines and collecting the morphemes using a few simple rules:

words are built by collecting morphemes from left to right only

a morpheme cannot be bypassed

all words must include the target base

Within the morpheme map all affixes are in standard print and other bases are in bold print.

Letters in pink denote letters that might (but not always) be altered in some way when world building. The three main examples of this will the drop, swap and double pattern: a pink letter might denote an <e> that might be dropped, a <y> that might be swapped for an <i> or a consonant that might be doubled. There are other examples.

A pink letter might also indicate a connecting vowel letter. Unlike other morphemes, connecting vowel letters do not denote meaning, but are simply organisational morphemes that connect morphemes of Latin and Greek origin.

Useful Resources

etymonline.com is an invaluable online resource for exploring the etymology of individual words.

wordinfo.info is a great resource for finding lists of words that share morphemes. Type a morpheme into the search box or find it in within the alphabetical list of units.

thefreedictionary.com's Word Finder is wonderful for finding lists of words with a common letter string. Just be careful - not all words with the same letter string will have the same etymology.

Base Bank Cards

A PDF of the latest Base Card of the will be added here each Monday. Click on the image to open up the PDF.
Base of the week: hydr (water)
Click the Zipped Folder icon to download every base bank card in the collection so far.
*These maps are based on the work of Pete Bowers and the WordWorks Literacy Centre (this is where I first discovered the concept many years ago, but please do correct me if I have assigned their invention to the wrong source) and in particular their use of 'word matrices'. I prefer a 'concept map' design over a 'word matrix' one for two reasons. First, I think they are a little simpler to understand - you follow the lines to build a word. But crucially using MindNode mind mapping software, I can create them in a fraction of the time it takes me to create a word matrix.
To subscribe to this blog please fill out the form below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"The underlying meaning of etymology is "finding the underlying" or "true meaning of words"." John Ayto, Dictionary of Word Origins This blog post will collate my weekly 'base cards'. You will be able to download the cards as PDFs.

# data[].attributes.headline
Module Eight: Teaching Writing as a Process 

# data[].attributes.subject
Module Eight: Teaching Writing as a Process 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
View all posts by James Durran (jdurran)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Reading as writers; writing as readers: an account of a Year 5/6 teaching sequence

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is an example of an approach to a text, which is designed specifically to help all pupils to develop their writing of literary narrative without recourse to the ’features of descriptive writin…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
On writing

I knew, when I was young, that I wanted to write. I loved stories. I loved books. I'd go to our local library and dream that my books would stand on its shelves one day. But how could that be possible? The things that I loved were so intimidating. Their apparent perfection scared me stiff: all those words in perfect order, all those neat lines of print, those perfectly-printed pages. My work looked nothing like that. My messy mind looked nothing like that. How could anyone create such a thing? Maybe writers had special kinds of minds. Maybe the insides of writers' minds looked like the insides of their books.

But of course, for we human beings, there's no such thing as perfection. We're imperfect beings in an imperfect world and our imperfection is at the heart of creativity. Our minds are messy, crowded with memories, images, sensations, fleeting thoughts, fragments of tales and dreams, weird speculations, devils and angels, hopes and fears. Much of the mind blazes with light. Much of it is vague and shadowy. Much of it is pitch-black and unknown. The mind is fragile, like the body is, but it is also one of the most powerful things in the known universe. The mind creates our world, our civilisation. And each of us has one of these astonishing, imperfect, beautiful things.

Notebook: Counting Stars

For me, the creative process has to be imperfect, messy, playful, often childlike, often weird. I can't plot or to plan too closely. When I start a new story, I usually have a few notions or images. Sometimes I have a powerful central idea, a character who demands attention, a scene that cries out to be created on the page. But even then, I'm often not quite sure what I'm doing or why I'm doing it. I set off like an explorer, in the hope that I might discover a story that's powerful and new.

Notebook: The Colour of the Sun

I use notebooks, sketchbooks, pens, pencils, coloured pencils. I scribble and doodle, experiment and play. I allow words and images to flow from my hand onto the page and I'm often amazed by what appears there. I love my computer, too. At the same time as scribbling, I start to compose sentences, paragraphs, pages. I create a title page with the name of the book (even though I know the title will probably change) and the name of the author (me!). I establish a daily routine and keep a tally of the number of words I write. I print out the pages and hold them together with bulldog clips so that I can see the pages growing and accumulating. I try not to force the story to take a particular shape. I let it grow like an organic thing. I search for the tone of the story, the voice in which it has to be told. I keep on scribbling and composing. I write and rewrite. I throw away and throw away. I read the story aloud to myself to test its rhythm and flow.

Often I'm filled with anxiety and self-doubt: everything I write is stupid; why did I ever start this terrible book; why aren't I writing another book? Why did I ever think of becoming a writer at all? At times like that, I just have to grit my teeth and carry on, even though I'm sure I'm writing rubbish. I try to relax. I play with my notebooks and pencils and allow new possibilities to emerge on the page. Sometimes there are moments when I suddenly see what's going on and how I can move the story forward. There are marvellous moments of grace when I, the writer, disappear and the words flow like the notes of a song and the story seems to write itself.

Notes for an unwritten story

I start to get a sense of the overall shape and I see what kind of book this might be. I begin to understand some of the connections that hold it all together. I cut and reshape. I get rid of characters who once seemed essential but who now get in the way. Sometimes I change the tense in which the book is written. I change from third person to first and back to third again. I slash and burn. I keep on writing, scribbling, rewriting, rewriting. I get the glimmerings of an ending but I don't rush towards it. I let the story continue to flow and to grow. I take great pains to try to make every word earn its place. I try to create a book, even when it is tinged with darkness and danger, that is a thing of beauty. I try to reach out to my unknown readers, to somehow cast a spell over them, to draw them into the story's fold.

In the end, there it is, that apparently impossible thing: a beautifully-bound book; words that appear to be in perfect order; neat lines of print; perfectly-organised pages. It looks fixed, static. It looks as if it couldn't exist in any other way. That's an illusion. The story continues to move and grow and to take on new dimensions in the minds of its readers, It is recreated there, and stimulates new tales, new memories, new dreams. It has my name on the cover, which might suggest that I know everything about it, but I don't. The book has its own life now, and I'm in the process of trying to create another.

The making of a book involves hard work, playfulness, dreaming, willpower and madness. Sometimes I've written a short book in a few weeks. A novel will take a year or more. The whole process can be excruciating and exhausting, but it's also a thing of great beauty. To create and to pass on a story is a fundamental, human act. We've been sharing stories with each other since the beginning of human time. We'll be sharing them until the end.
Click or touch any of the pictures of notebook pages to see a full-screen version that you can zoom in on.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I knew, when I was young, that I wanted to write. I loved stories. I loved books. I'd go to our local library and dream that my books would stand on its shelves one day. But how could that be possible? The things that I loved were so intimidating.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Resources for Teachers | Writing resources for teachers | University of Exeter

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Writing for Pleasure - Chapter 8 - Volition

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The National Handwriting Association is a charity whose aims are to raise awareness of the importance of handwriting and keyboarding as vital components of literacy, to promote good practice in the teaching of handwriting and to support those who work with children with handwriting difficulties.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Charity promoting good practice in handwriting

# data[].attributes.headline
Recording of M5: Rethinking Reading Comprehension

# data[].attributes.subject
Recording of M5: Rethinking Reading Comprehension