How do I use an online literacy program (successfully!) at home with my child?
Welcome back! It is the start of a new school year which can bring excitement and trepidation for students. After the long summer break, many parents will want their kids to ‘switch on’ to Term 1 learning. As you know, reading is a fundamental skill that is essential for success in all school subjects. Does…
School’s out. Should You be Concerned about ‘Summer Slide’?
If you have school-age children, you may have heard of the “summer slide,” a phenomenon in which students lose some of the learning they achieved in the previous school year over the extended summer break.
Explaining Reading: Inferring
#4. Inferring Inferring is notoriously difficult for students. The data from our literacy programs consistently show that kids struggle with this concept. Inferring is the ability to “read between the lines” or to “get the meaning” that the author implies, but does not state directly. No wonder our students find it tricky. Inferring dominates virtually…
Explaining Reading: Imaging
#3. Imaging A distinguishing skill of good comprehenders is that they respond to the descriptive text they read. They create pictures, or visual representations, in their minds. Like so much of comprehension, imaging is something that good readers seem to do “naturally’. To these students, reading is like watching a movie ~ they use their…
Explaining Reading: Monitoring and Questioning
#2. Monitoring & Questioning Comprehension is an active cycle of mental activity. Last week we discussed Predicting ~ but this is only the beginning process of seeking meaning. The cycle continues as students move into the text. Basically, they monitor, question and, if necessary, they abandon the prediction they made earlier and form new predictions….
Explaining Reading: Predicting
#1. Predicting Predicting is fundamental to comprehension. Good readers anticipate meaning. They do this by predicting what they think is going to happen and by revising their predictions as they read. Predicting is a skill for all ages – from emergent to high school readers Emergent readers make predictions as they are listening to stories…
How a Graphic Organiser can help kids with reading comprehension
Some of our best educational tools have been hanging around forever, waiting to be re-discovered. In reading a recent article by Jennifer Gonzalez from The Cult of Pedagogy , I was reminded of the usefulness of the graphic organiser. Yes, everything she mentioned rings true with us at Literacy for Boys & Literacy for Kids,…
Read Before You Stream: Kids’ books made into tv and movies
School holidays are approaching – it’s a great opportunity to encourage reading. Kids love to watch movies and tv shows, so why not motivate more reading with book choices that have stream-able adaptations? Many great children’s books have been adapted as movies or as a tv series, just take your pick from this list! Happy…
Things you can do NOW to improve student literacy
NAPLAN results are headlining at the moment and the data is difficult to ignore. However, we want to focus on the positives: how can we all work together to improve the literacy of our Aussie students? Here are some strategies that you – parents, teachers, tutors & boarding masters – can employ to enhance the…
One in 10 students needing extra support, NAPLAN data reports
NAPLAN data was released yesterday and I continue to be saddened at falling results, particularly with our teen boys in Year 9. I wanted to share some key findings: Key points: About one in 10 students need extra support to meet classroom expectations, according to the latest NAPLAN data. NAPLAN standards have been revised upwards…