The literate child at P6Progress to date…

Sue Ellis

University of Strathclyde

The model

Staff development based on• Networking around ‘big ideas’• Operationalising and personalising

knowledge• Designed for:

– Spread – Depth – Ownership – Sustainability

Why this way?• Compliance is always problematic (see Gawande’s ‘better

handwashing’ in hospitals)

• Advice: based on best analysis but probabilities, not certainties (see DCSF Gender Agenda advice booklets download at http://www.ttrb.ac.uk/viewArticle2.aspx?contentId=15807)

• Context matters (pupil cohort; staff capacity; school capacity) - local priorities and local evidence

• Content and pedagogical knowledge = high priority• Embedding practice into social relationships (telling

doesn’t work) • Effective staff development = constructivist, ongoing,

evolutionary not focused on operationalising programmes (see anything by Cynthia Coburn for the last four points)

Head teachers have been central and are critical to

success

Formal and informal discussion

Defining the literate child(and moving CfE forward)

. Cognitive knowledge & skills

Personal/social aspirations & identity

Cultural capital & match with home literacies

ELC strategy is supporting teachers to…

• Plan and assess literacy as a cognitive, social and emotional event in schools – Noticing, creating, using and nudging networks

• Raise expectations, deepen content and pedagogical knowledge

• Address CfE

• Address national issues: SES and gender

Big ideas around…

• Engagement

• Comprehension

• Writing

• Phonics and phonological awareness

Each has its own ELC history & presents its own challenges

Engagement• Widely embraced: a ball rolling down the hill...

– Importance of throughput and ‘low stakes’ practice– Tackling the ‘can but don’ts’– Being a proactive engager: interaction with pupils

about what they are reading and choosing– Clearer focus to ERIC time

• Issues– Teacher book/ class stock knowledge (librarians)– Library visits - important and targeted pedagogical

activity– Introduction and use of Library Book Boxes– Resources (bulk buying and sharing)

Comprehension• Welcomed ideas

– Testing vs teaching distinction - less static– Key indicators of poor comprehension– Celebrating different understandings– Links with drama; informal talk; discussion– Strategic teaching ‘when can I next use

this?’(curricular coherence for child)

• Issues– Going beyond activities, beyond literal, inferential

and evaluative to actively teach core behaviours

Strategy teaching for comprehension

• Visualising• Hearing the text as you read• Speculating • Questioning • Imagining alternatives • Holding thoughts as you read on • Linking to real-life experiences • Summarising

Writing• Welcomed ideas

– Writing for pleasure; pupil choice of topic – Responsive planning – Providing many low-stakes opportunities (practice, quantity,

throughput and extended writing)• Issues

– Necessary struggle - too much help is not helpful, even if it produces a good end result (butterfly and chrysalis)

– Planning to ‘mine’ a genre -repeat experiences build the vocabulary, structures, confidence and playfulness

– Coaching for orchestration of skills– How do pupils see their writing used across curriculum?

Potato Clock

By Roger McGough

From Sky in my Pie

So what is helpful feedback? What will make

Connor want to write again?

-Feel-good factor (attention to what he has said and its impact on the reader) -A light reminder of ONE thing immediately before the next task (coaching, not squashing!)

Phonics and handwriting

• What was helpful?– Fluency not neatness in handwriting– Value of pace with revision and revisiting – Clear phonics intervention point

• Issues– Suiting phonics to cohort

But this is only a start…

• The focus on the four strands needs to continue.

• Teachers need to:– Develop breadth and apply all strategies– Deepen understanding– Develop range of pedagogical techniques

• Head teachers must carry this forward

Formative assessment tool

• Designed to prompt conversations with teachers that are focused on:– Emotional, social and cognitive– Key ideas of teaching content - four strands– Noticing how different pupils get there– Tuning pedagogy to individual teacher capacity to

deliver (being pragmatic about what is possible)

Continuing development and support

• Research: Head teachers’ study group - identify useful publications

• Cluster and staff groups sharing ideas to further develop spread and depth of implementation

• CfE: initiative means ELC is well-advanced in key literacy content areas

• ITE variations – ask probationers what they know

Questions to consider

• What are the key challenges in developing the literate child?

• What is happening in your school?• What difference is it making to children’s

literacy?• How can the various assessment tools help?• What next step will give the biggest payoff?