Reading With Purpose

Overview

This is lesson 19 of 25 in Justice or Just Us? Students apply dyslexia-friendly reading strategies to two previously studied texts, monitoring comprehension and comparing how ideas and opinions are represented. The lesson builds on prior analysis of justice, perspective and evidence.

Learning intentions

• WALT apply effective reading strategies to understand challenging texts.
• Students will practise predicting, visualising, questioning, clarifying, summarising and inferring.
• Students will compare key ideas and perspectives across two texts.
• Students will explain which strategies help them read with greater independence.

Success criteria

• I can choose and apply a reading strategy when meaning breaks down.
• I can identify and summarise the main idea of each text.
• I can support an inference or comparison with evidence.
• I can demonstrate effective reading strategies and explain which helped me.

Curriculum links

• English Literacy — using comprehension strategies to compare and contrast ideas and opinions in and between texts.
• English Literacy — analysing the organisation of ideas in paragraphs and extended texts and evaluating their impact on meaning.
• English Literacy — analysing and evaluating how language features represent a perspective.
• English Literacy — planning, creating, editing and publishing responses for particular purposes and audiences.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Settle and activate prior knowledge. Teacher displays the WALT and success criteria using the learning intention and success criteria slides, then asks, “What do you do when a text stops making sense?” Students silently list one strategy they already use, then share with a partner.

Remind students that dyslexia-friendly reading supports can benefit every reader: clear spacing, a comfortable reading speed, audio support where available, tracking with a ruler or finger, and permission to reread.

2. 5–12 min · Model the strategies. Teacher models a short paragraph from Text A, thinking aloud: preview the heading, predict, chunk the paragraph, identify the main idea, clarify an unfamiliar word, ask a question and make an evidence-based inference. Use the strategy modelling slides to reveal each step gradually. Students annotate the same paragraph on the dyslexia-friendly reading strategies worksheet, recording the strategy and its effect on understanding.

3. 12–17 min · Guided strategy rehearsal. Teacher reads a second paragraph aloud while students follow a dyslexia-friendly copy on the dyslexia-friendly reading strategies worksheet; pause at planned points to ask, “What do you notice? What might we predict? Which word or idea needs clarifying?” Students use a preferred access option—silent reading, paired reading, teacher read-aloud or text-to-speech if available—and explain one answer to a partner.

4. 17–30 min · Independent application: Text A. Teacher directs students to reread the agreed extract from Text A, using the checklist and prompts on the dyslexia-friendly reading strategies worksheet. Students mark the main idea, underline evidence, note one unfamiliar term and write an inference or question; they pause after each paragraph to give a brief margin summary. Teacher conferences with selected students, asking them to name the strategy they chose and why it helped.

5. 30–39 min · Compare Text B. Teacher displays the comparison prompts in the paired-text comparison slides and briefly reminds students to distinguish an idea from an opinion. Students read the matching extract from Text B, using the same access options, then complete a comparison: one shared idea, one difference in perspective, and one language choice or piece of evidence that shapes meaning. In pairs, students explain which text was easier to follow and identify the organisational or language feature that contributed.

6. 39–45 min · Review and exit check. Teacher revisits the success criteria using the reflection and exit prompt slide and invites two or three students to share a useful strategy without requiring personal disclosure about reading needs. Students complete the final response on the dyslexia-friendly reading strategies worksheet: “The most effective strategy for me today was ___ because ___; in Text A and Text B, the key difference is ___, shown by ___.” Collect responses for planning the next lesson.

Resources

• the dyslexia-friendly reading strategies slide deck
• the dyslexia-friendly reading strategies worksheet
• Previously studied Text A and Text B, with agreed extracts
• Dyslexia-friendly copies with clear sans-serif font, generous spacing and uncluttered layout
• Coloured overlays, reading rulers or blank cards for tracking lines
• Headphones and approved text-to-speech or audio versions, where available
• Highlighters or coloured pencils
• Board and markers

Assessment

• During modelling and guided reading, check whether students can select an appropriate strategy and explain how it supports comprehension.
• Confer during independent reading: listen for accurate summaries, purposeful questioning and inferences supported by evidence.
• Use the final worksheet response to assess comparison of ideas, perspective and evidence, as well as students’ awareness of effective reading strategies.

Differentiation

• Support: provide chunked extracts, numbered paragraphs, a strategy prompt strip, vocabulary glosses and sentence starters such as “The main idea is…” and “This suggests…”.
• Offer text-to-speech, teacher or peer read-aloud, paired reading, extra processing time and the choice to respond orally before writing. Do not require students to read aloud publicly.
• For EAL learners, pre-teach essential terms with brief definitions and allow bilingual dictionaries or translation tools consistent with school policy.
• Extension: students compare the order in which ideas are presented in both texts and evaluate how that organisation influences the reader’s response; they then recommend the most effective strategy for a peer and justify their recommendation.