Now that we have got early word reading in place (or nearly), it may be helpful to think about what we know about the ongoing process of developing reading skills as pupils move through school. How do we get better at ensuring they improve their reading comprehension?
There isn’t much research evidence that using scripted resources and materials helps. Practising answering questions may help pupils answer questions about a text, but it does not help them develop the strategies used to help grasp the meaning of a text.
Yet studies show that developing teacher knowledge about reading comprehension does have a small but significant effect on pupil outcomes, suggesting that it is worth thinking about how we approach teacher professional learning.
So, what does work? It seems that, unlike teacher professional learning in other subject disciplines, learning how to teach children to read is more complicated and demands we think beyond the generic principles of CPD.
A recent meta-analysis of research by Marianne Rice and colleagues in the US suggests that we need a bespoke approach to training teachers about reading comprehension. This starts with thinking carefully about who delivers the professional learning. Training delivered by researchers who are experts in the science of reading seems marginally more effective.
Rice and colleagues note that the impact of coaching on improving teacher practices in teaching reading comprehension is variable. In some cases, it was a powerful mechanism for improving teacher practices, and in some cases, it was not.
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It is important to ensure training is focused on understanding the development of reading comprehension and is not just about the delivery of lessons and materials.
Teachers with high knowledge of reading comprehension have pupils who do better than “low knowledge” teachers.
Learning about specific practices may be more helpful than general strategies.
There was some indication that structuring the training to introduce a range of specific reading comprehension strategies - such as teaching pupils to ask questions when reading; developing vocabulary strategies to improve comprehension; comprehension monitoring; and activating relevant background knowledge - may be helpful than more generalised training.
Finally, and most importantly, professional learning should include all teachers. Researchers agree that word reading and reading for meaning should be taught in tandem, and we should ensure meaning is at the heart of reading from the very early stages of learning to read.
We may have cracked early word reading, but there is still plenty left to do.
Megan Dixon is a doctoral student and associate lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University
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