In my current role, I work with pupils who have various SEND and mental health needs. They also possess a broad range of abilities and preferences for learning. In many ways, you could say it is a microcosm of many mainstream classrooms. The reading ages in the class range from 10 years old 17+, and the SAS from 73-109, as per NGRT – see below:

Stanines and Gaps: NGRT measures stanines for Sentence Completion and Passage Comprehension. If there is a gap of two stanines or more, significant barriers may exist and other testing might be required. The Overall Stanine provides a broader view and can be useful for grouping. Below is the Simple View of Reading which shows the relationship between word reading and language comprehension. We should use assessments, standardised tests, and some reading tasks to help establish where the gaps are in the areas below and to inform our strategies and interventions. They will also help identify areas of competence. (For more info on broad reading habits – National Literacy Trust Survey)

I would also recommend looking at Hollis Scarborough’s ​‘reading rope’ as it serves as a reminder of the many threads needed. These threads are essential to develop our pupils as skilled readers at all key stages. Read Dr Geraldine Magennis-Clarke’s piece on The Science of Reading (SoR). It is included in the recently published researchED Belfast compendium.

Understanding Comprehension: Reading comprehension strategies work through a number of different mechanisms – all focused on improving the understanding of meaning of text effectively. Common elements include:

• explicit teaching of strategies;
• teachers questioning pupils to apply key steps;
• summarising or identifying key points;
• metacognitive talk to model strategies;
• using graphic or semantic organisers;
• using peer and self-questioning strategies to practice the strategies (such as reciprocal questioning);
• and pupils monitoring their own comprehension and identifying difficulties themselves.

Methods and Strategies:

Using a mixture of Reading Age scores and being cognisant of the the Goldilocks Principle, I decided to experiment with some of the strategies above and create a resource for comprehensions. I also wanted to build in some dictionary and vocab work to promote independence and rich talk. The ‘primer’ below is in A3 format built loosely around the EEF comprehension strategies:

You can download the latest version – I will probably adapt or edit at some stage and will share.

My aim was to tighten up my own lesson structure in a small group setting. I aimed to include explicit strategies with clear sequences or steps. These included scaffolding and summarising. I also wanted to create space for oracy through questioning and identifying difficulties. It helps with lesson structure because most of the students I work with respond best predictability and familiarity. Here is what I came up with alongside the Reading Primer:

Timing: I bought a timer (SEND Visual Timer £9.99) which has worked wonders in terms of splitting up the lesson and giving pupils an idea of how long it feels to sit for 15 mins. This has been particularly effective for ADHD and ASD pupils. It also means I can split the lesson into 3rds, which they all like and comment “that lesson flew in” or “I didn’t even notice we have been here for 45 minutes!” – I am not sure what way to take those comments but it definitely beats the “How long’s left?” and “What time is it?” merry-go-round! In fact, two pupils have specifically requested to use this when they are completing work.

Commonality of Challenge: many pupils share the difficulties involved in many tasks, but they sometimes believe that they are the only ones in the class to experience them. This activity allows me to show them that they are like everybody else and are not alone when they encounter difficulties. This can be shared and discussed, in a smaller group setting, and builds safety, rapport and relationships that are often fundamental for SEND pupils to engage.

Progression (Schofield and Sims): Whilst these booklets are labeled KS2, they do provide incremental challenge and tasks that include prose, poetry and non fiction. There are also a good range of topics and non-fiction based articles to use. Again, I would tend to use the Goldilocks Principle here and data that I have. Once they complete the A3 sheet, we then use the questions and mark sheet to consolidate and refine.

Previously, I tried giving them the question sheet alongside the text. However, their reluctance and lack of prior knowledge caused hesitation and attempts were often laboured, involving some form of avoidance. They were often apprehensive when committing their answers, either verbally or in written form. This formula I have is working (at the moment…) and I will continue to tweak it and my resources with more demanding tasks. In the early stages, I will use this format and my visualiser.

Many of the pupils I work with have missed large chunks of KS3, so they need their confidence built up again. I think I have found a way to do this and will supplement this with more tasks and, as time goes on, I will share the next few stages and will hopefully see the impact.

Thanks for reading!