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- We need to be prepared to be surprised
We need to be prepared to be surprised
‘Simply reading challenging novels aloud, and at a fast pace in each lesson, repositioned ‘poorer’ readers as ‘good’ readers, giving them a more engaged, uninterrupted reading experience over a sustained period.’
Who, in education, wouldn’t love to have results like these?
This is what happened with the ‘Just read’ research project from the University of Sussex.
The cohort as a whole made 8 months progress in their reading comprehension and the ‘poorer’ readers made an impressive 16 months progress by the end of the trial.
When the researchers asked teachers what they thought was the reason for the improved outcomes, for the most part, they were surprised.
They hadn’t thought the lower prior attainers could cope.
Too often there’s a tendency to think that pupils with low starting points can’t access demanding work.
We need to be prepared to be surprised, because they can!
I’ll be discussing the findings from ‘Just reading’: the impact of a faster pace of reading narratives on the comprehension of poorer adolescent readers in a webinar on Tuesday 18th March 4-5pm.
Available on Myatt & Co - live and recorded. Access with an individual or group annual subscription.
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Until next time
Mary