At St. Peter’s, we have developed a whole school, cross-curricular approach to reading. It relies on the combination of reading aloud in class with the strategies listed below:

Close reading is the methodical breaking down of the language and structure of a complex passage to establish and analyse its meaning.

There are six key strategies needed to ensure reading proficiency and independent reading comprehension. Practising close reading leads to embedding reading fluency.

The six strategies are as follows:

1. Prediction
2. Inference
3. Questioning
4. Activating prior learning
5. Clarifying
6. Summarising
    

We are coined the acronym ‘PIQACS’ to help staff and pupils remember them.

Prediction: This requires pupils to predict what they might learn by looking at clues in the text or using previous knowledge to make connections. They could predict what information they will learn from looking at headings or key vocabulary. After predicting. they can be given the opportunity to reflect, revise and refine.

Inference: This is a strategy where pupils read a text and use personal experience or past knowledge to understand what the text is about and what is implied through the language used. It says…I say… so I infer…

Questioning: This requires pupils to ask and respond to questions about situations, objects, concepts and ideas in an effective way. The questions should help the readers to accomplish three interpretive goals. They should help the reader to think about what the text said; how the text works and what it means.

Activating prior knowledge: Here, pupils are required to talk about things they know and the things they have already learnt; their knowledge is then reinforced through further reading. Pupils are encouraged to ask themselves: what do I already know? What do I want to know? What did I learn?

Clarifying: Pupils are encouraged to make sense of ideas and words when reading by identifying unclear vocabulary, concepts and structures in a text.

Summarising: This requires the reading of a large quantity of text. Pupils then reduce it down into a smaller number of words or images that include the most relevant points they have understood from the text.

These reading strategies will begin to be embedded across all subjects with the view to developing pupils’ reading fluency and comprehension in our curriculum.

Reading for pleasure

We would be very grateful if parents would encourage their child to read at home.  Research proves that reading a book together at home aloud, as well as being enjoyable, will boost the reading age of the pupil.

If you are looking for inspiration of what age specific book to read, then please click on the links below for some suggestions.  If aunts, uncles or other relatives are struggling for a gift for you child’s birthday or Christmas present, why not suggestion one of these recommended reads!?

Please click for recommended reads for a Year 7 pupil.

Please click for recommended reads for a Year 8 pupil.

Please click for recommended reads for a Year 9 pupil.

Please click for recommended reads for a pupil who is studying for their GCSEs.