WoW – validity                                                                                                                              CPD Focus – Embedding Reading Warriors

                                                                                                                       Using Reading Ages to Inform Teaching

READING	WRITING	ORACY
Reading widely Reading for pleasure	Spelling of subject-specific vocabulary Use of WAGOLLs to model/scaffold (visualisers, mini-whiteboards)	Purposeful and structured communication with others

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIS WEEK

 

• CPD Focus – Embedding explicit reading strategies and awarding Classcharts for them. Reading ages (available on Classcharts) need to be a point of reference when planning lessons.  Continue to use Reading Warriors (resources are saved here) and the Reading Quick Wins approaches (here) where possible.
• REMINDER Study Groups – The feedback proforma is due in by the end of June to RLO (template here).
• REMINDER: Setting work – please ensure that work is uploaded, as per department approach (i.e. Class Materials or Assignments), for every lesson so that isolating students can complete.
• Dates for Diary:
  • Whole School CPD (PSHE) Wednesday 7^th July (details TBC)
  • 13^th July - New Staff Orientation day
  • 13^th July @ 3:15-4pm – Study Group Celebration (details TBC).

 

             

REFLECT

 

 Feedback - Plan - Teach

Link to this term’s CPD focus – Embedding Reading Warriors, developing voice confidence

Key Priorities

• Embedding Reading Warriors when appropriate (but making explicit the skills of clarification, questioning, prediction and summarising).
• Giving students to opportunity to use their voices within your lessons (whether reading their work or from a text)
• Promoting wider reading within your subjects and reading for pleasure

 

In their latest iteration of ‘Teaching Walkthrus’, Tom Sherrington and Oliver Caviglioli remind us of the importance of initiating periods of silence within lessons. Silence is – as they say – golden.  However, they go on to say that silence needs to be used, not as a punishment or sanction, but rather as something luxurious and to be cherished. They write, ‘[silence] cannot be a harsh intense silence imposed in a disciplinary style.  It needs to be a silence that students relish.’

 

This week, reflect on your lessons and whether you allow for these periods of luxurious, cherished and golden silence.  Follow Sherrington’s Walkthru and evaluate the impact:

 

ESTABLISH THE PRINCIPLE: SILENCE IS ABSOLUTE. Silence means silence.  Nobody talks at all.  You are aiming for ‘pin-drop’ silence.  No exceptions.

 

SET A SILENT WORK TASK WITH A CLEAR TIME LIMIT: Students will accept the silence if there is a clear end to it.  No instructions should be given during the silence so make explanations clear before starting.

 

MAINTAIN YOUR OWN SILENCE AND MODEL THE JOY OF IT: Avoid causing distractions yourself.  Model the silence whilst also monitoring students in a low-level manner.  Use non-verbal cues if necessary.

 

REINFORCE THE FEELING THAT SILENCE IS GOLDEN; TO BE TREASURED: only ask for periods of silence for positive reasons. 

 

 

 

END THE SILENCE GENTLY AND REVIEW THE WORK: honour your time limits precisely so that students learn to trust and respect them when they are set. As the time approaches, avoid a rush of noise by talking softly, using Cold Call to select some students to share their ideas or work produced.  Alternatively, switch to Think-Pair-Share to optimise feedback. 

 

Remember to continue to reward ‘Excellent Reading’ through ClasscCharts.  There has been a significant increase in points awarded over the course of the last term.

 

Useful references:

Teaching and Learning Policy (containing blended learning approach)

WLD planning template (updated January 2021)

TOP TIPS

 

Remember that you have all shared resources in WLD Teachers – CPD – 2020/21 – Reading Warriors (here).

Where have you planned in opportunities for reading this week?  Whether learning theory in PE or how to answer questions in Maths, reading skills are – as we know – crucial to students making progress.  This approach to embedding reading comes from Tom Sherrington and Oliver Caviglioli’s ‘Teaching Walkthrus’:

1. Make reading central to your planning – rather than an afterthought. 
2. Identify vocabulary, phrases and writing stems – teach all the words and phrases needed to understand a text as explicitly as possible. 
3. Plan reading resources – When planning schemes of learning, select texts for student to read about the topic. Where possible, link to the vocabulary (see above point).  Pitch the reading correctly so that it provides a balance of challenge and accessibility.  Knowing the students’ reading ages will be crucial here.
4. Plan comprehension activities – you may also use Directed Activities Relating to Texts (DARTs) here. You may include: answering questions based on the text, summarising (Reading Warriors); re-writing into their own words; apply the content to problem-solving activities, etc.
5. Build towards independent reading – make it explicit that the students’ goal is to be able to read relevant texts independently. Build towards this by designing reading routines (Reading Warriors). This may include retrieval practice, comprehension tasks or structured discussions based on set reading.

CPD CASCADE

The National College

Please contact RLO if you have forgotten your login. Several members of staff have yet to log in!

ACEs training - PHO (emailed information 7^th April)

https://thenationalcollege.co.uk/hub/view/webinar/adverse-childhood-experiences

 

Mental Health Training – Free - PHO

• It's FREE
• Open to anyone
• Do it when you want, you just need to register for a dated cohort.

https://www.place2be.org.uk/foundation

 

KRO – Reaching the Hard to Reach

Useful webinar which includes discussions regarding ACES

 

RSW – School Diversity Week 21^st – 25^th June

Links to KS3&4 resources for lessons during school diversity week circulated by RSW: ‘It would be great if you could integrate those relevant to your subject into your lessons during this week, however, please do not feel compelled to do so, it's only if it fits!’ (emailed last week).

https://www.toolkit.justlikeus.org/ks3-resources

https://www.toolkit.justlikeus.org/ks4-resources
 

 Feedback - Plan - Teach