WoW – welfare                                                                                             CPD Focus – Embedding Reading Warriors

                                                                 Using Reading Ages to Inform Teaching

READING	WRITING	ORACY
Reading independently 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). Please could HoDs save their proforma into the relevant folder for their subject.
• 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

 

Last week, JHA shared some theoretical approaches and working practices regarding diagnostic assessment. Rob Coe writes an interesting blog on the subject and the EEF have published their ‘Evidence Insights’ around the subject and provide the following definition.

 

‘Diagnostic assessments provide opportunities to reflect on pupils’ thinking, strengths, and weaknesses. They can give useful insights into pupil learning, although interpreting the information they produce requires some level of professional judgement from teachers, as there are many reasons why pupils might answer a question in a certain way.’

 

As we mark Year 10 assessments (exams), or the work from another year group, it would be worth reflecting on the following questions:

1. Which elements of the students answer show that the teaching has been strong?
2. What was the purpose of the assessment? Has this been fulfilled?
3. Think of the progress ladders in your subject - what are the things that stop someone from moving from one step on the ladder to the next one? Do all teachers of the subject understand the progress ladders and the key concepts that are needed to enable movement from one step to another? 
4. Have students shown an understanding of the ‘powerful knowledge’ (the knowledge that they have to incorporate) relating to the topic?
5. How will you use the information emerging from this assessment to move forward?

So how does diagnostic assessment relate to reading?

For two terms now, our focus has been improving independent reading.  All teachers now have access to student reading ages to enable them to plan more carefully and purposefully.  We know that teaching reading skills is our collective responsibility.  In order to fully quality assure assessments, it is vital to ensure that they are accessible by all.  Take the opportunity to run your assessment through a SMOG calculator to determine the reading age of your assessment.  Is it fit for purpose?  Can all students access the language of the assessment? 

If a student’s reading skills are not factored into assessment results, then results and further actions (in terms of teaching and intervention etc) will certainly be skewed. 

 

Useful references:

See Alex Quigley’s full blog here:

 

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)

Linked with the theme of diagnostic assessment, ALY circulated a very useful PowerPoint introduction to hinge questions last week.  It is saved in our CPD Library here.  More CPD on this subject will follow in September, but this introduction is useful starting point.

CPD CASCADE

 

CPD Shared by RHO

A selection of CPD based on children’s mental health and assessment.

 

Flipping Learning in GCSE Classroom – JMI

Hodder Webinar

Faster progress, deeper learning.  £85 and access to recording afterwards.

 

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

 Feedback - Plan - Teach