Reading Strategies Workshop

Overview

Duration: 60 minutes
Audience: Teachers of Year 5-7
Class Size: 20 teachers
Location: Islington staff development meeting

This session focuses on strengthening reading strategies to support struggling readers and students with dyslexia. It aligns closely with the National Curriculum for England (Years 5-7), emphasizing inclusive teaching approaches and practical interventions.

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Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Articulate key reading learning objectives from the National Curriculum for Years 5-7.
• Identify characteristics of struggling readers and dyslexic students.
• Apply evidence-based strategies tailored to support these pupils within the classroom.
• Design differentiated reading activities aligned with curriculum standards.
• Share and evaluate practical resources for inclusive reading instruction.

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National Curriculum Alignment

The session targets the following key reading objectives from the National Curriculum for England:

• Reading - Word Reading and Comprehension (Years 5-7):
  • Secure decoding skills to fluently read age-appropriate texts.
  • Develop comprehension through identifying main ideas, themes, and summarising.
  • Draw inferences and justify predictions with evidence from text.
  • Increase vocabulary through context and morphology awareness (NC Programme of Study for English, Key Stage 2).

Equality and inclusion mandates require teaching that enables all children, including those with SEND such as dyslexia, to meet expected standards (Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 0 to 25 years).

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Session Plan

1. Introduction & Context Setting (10 mins)

• Welcome and session aims.
• Brief icebreaker: "Share one challenge you have encountered teaching reading to struggling readers."
• Review of National Curriculum reading objectives for Years 5-7, highlighting expectations of fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary.

2. Understanding Struggling Readers & Dyslexia (10 mins)

• Discuss common characteristics of struggling readers and dyslexia (e.g. decoding difficulties, phonological awareness gaps, slow reading rates).
• Distinction between typical reading difficulties and indicators needing specialist support.
• The importance of a strengths-based, inclusive approach.

Discussion Prompt:
"How might dyslexia present in a Year 6 classroom? What signs and misunderstandings should teachers look out for?"

3. Practical Reading Strategies (20 mins)

a) Phonics & Decoding Support

• Revisit synthetic phonics approaches as per Letters and Sounds framework.
• Multisensory teaching methods (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic): e.g. magnetic letters, tapping out syllables, using coloured overlays.
• Explicit teaching of morphology (prefixes, suffixes).

b) Comprehension Techniques

• Use of questioning frameworks:
  • Literal (retrieval)
  • Inferential (reading between the lines)
  • Evaluative (opinion and justification)
• Reciprocal Reading strategy: teacher models predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarising.
• Graphic organisers for mapping story structure and vocabulary.

c) Vocabulary Development

• Teaching etymology and word families to build connections.
• Pre-reading vocabulary activities, including “word splash” and “word maps.”

d) Supporting Fluency

• Guided repeated reading with peer and self-assessment.
• Paired reading and choral reading techniques.

e) Classroom Environment & Resources

• Coloured overlays and font modifications (dyslexia-friendly fonts).
• Audio books and screen readers for accessibility.
• Quiet reading corners and flexible seating to reduce distractions.

4. Activity: Lesson Design Brainstorm (15 mins)

Task in small groups (4-5 teachers):

• Design a 20-minute reading activity for Year 6 pupils that integrates at least two strategies learnt (e.g., reciprocal reading with vocabulary mapping for a non-fiction text).
• Ensure alignment with National Curriculum reading objectives and dyslexia-friendly principles.
• Prepare a 2-minute pitch explaining how your activity supports struggling readers.

5. Sharing and Reflecting (5 mins)

• Each group presents their idea.
• Open floor for feedback and further suggestions.

6. Summary and Next Steps (5 mins)

• Recap key learning points.
• Encourage teachers to trial one new strategy in their classrooms and share outcomes in the next staff meeting.
• Provide a list of recommended print resources and local support groups for dyslexia.

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Resources and Materials

• Copies of the National Curriculum reading objectives summary (Years 5-7).
• Example graphic organisers and question stems printed.
• Samples of coloured overlays and dyslexia-friendly fonts.
• Phonics and morphology teaching cards.
• Audio-book excerpts (if available via school subscriptions).
• Whiteboard and pens for group work.
• Handout summarising included strategies with practical tips.

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Assessment and Evaluation

• Informal formative assessment through group tasks and discussions.
• Reflective feedback collected via a quick written survey on confidence and understanding post-session.
• Follow-up monitoring: teachers report back on implementation and impact on struggling readers in future meetings.

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Notes for Facilitators

• Emphasise the importance of empathy and patience with struggling readers.
• Encourage a collaborative atmosphere where teachers share their own experiences openly.
• Use real classroom examples wherever possible to ground theory in practice.
• Offer personalised support suggestions as teachers discuss particular pupil needs.

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This plan empowers teachers with practical, curriculum-aligned strategies and fosters a supportive staff culture centred around inclusion and reading success.