Reading & Writing

Reading involves making sense of print and constructing meaning from written language. When you read a book, an article, an advertisement, or a bus timetable, you bring to the reading a great deal of information about the topic, about the way language works and about the way print is organised. This is a complex process.

Learning to read involves understanding the following concepts:

• Spoken language is related to written language. Spoken language can be written down and then read out loud.

• Written language has its own patterns and structures

• Written language is organised in sentences, word groups and words.

• Written words are made up of a limited number of symbols or letters that represent the sound of spoken words.

These questions are designed to be used with any books or text a student is reading. They help students discuss and articulate their understanding of a text especially of information that is implied and not directly said by the author.

Before Reading (not all must be done each time):

1. Look at the front cover, what can you see?

2. Look at the illustrations, how is this helping us predict what this book will be about?

(When making predictions remember to always give reasons for your thoughts using clues from the text, use the conjunction because...)

3. Go through the book ONLY looking at the pictures, discussing what they can see and what they think is happening (explaining why or because...)

4. Very brief overview of the story without revealing too much.

5. Students are encouraged to update their initial predictions constantly with the more clues and evidence the see.

6. Students making connections with what they see to their everyday lives (text to self connection), or things they have read in other books (text to text connection) or to movies they have seen (text to text connections).

a. This reminds me of...

b. I have seen this in a move when...

c. I read something about this before...

d. I done it in real life when...

During Reading (recommended to be done each time you read a book):

Clarifying and Vocabulary

Students read the book taking turns (one page you and the other page them) picking out any unfamiliar vocabulary and key words, clarifying unfamiliar statements or information.

Model language patterns that may be unfamiliar, how to read with expression.

Student make new predictions using new evidence.

Comprehension and expression:

Re-read the book. Students read the book taking turns (swap the pages you read) picking out any unfamiliar vocabulary and key words.

Ask students to remind you what certain words or statements mean that you have picked out in previous readings.

Model language patterns that may be unfamiliar, model how to read with expression.

After Reading (recommended to be done after each book read):

With the students discuss the main idea (would the story make sense without this part of the story) of the book. Ask them to locate where it is in the book.

Summarise the book (beginning, middle and end) using book specific language.

Who were the main characters?

What did ....... do when ....... happened?

Where did the story happen?

When did the story happen?

Where did he/she live?

What was_________ thinking as he...? How do you know?

Have you ever had a similar experience? How did you feel?

What happened after .......?

Who said ........? Why? What did they mean?

What did ........ look like?

Can you tell me why ....... happened?

What happened after?

What happened before?

What does this tell us about how ___ is feeling / thinking?

What do you think is happening here?

What happened in this part of the story? What might this mean?

Through whose eyes is the story told?

Do you know what might happen next?

What could this tell us about the character?

Describe in your own words.

How do we know that....?

When learning to write, children need to develop skills in two main areas:

• Writing mechanics

• The Writing process

Writing Mechanics

'Writing Mechanics' includes everything from physically producing texts to spelling correctly and using accurate grammar,

Writing combines many skills and relies on development in areas not specific to writing. To write, a child needs:

• 'fine motor skills', or the ability to use the muscles in their fingers and hands

• to be able to concentrate on one thing for some time

• the ability to create ideas

• to remember letters and appropriate words

• the language skills to say or write what they are thinking

• imagination

The Writing Process

The writing process involves developing and organising information, including planning and editing. Because reading and writing skills develop together, it is important to make that connection and include reading and writing in the home routine.

Some children want to learn to write before they learn to read. Generally, good readers grow up to be good writers and good writers grow up to be good readers.