Expectations in primary English are high, particularly in reading. There is an emphasis on inference and deduction together with vocabulary development: two key elements for preparing pupils to access texts at a higher level. At the same time, there is also a change in the rhetoric around guided reading with teachers trying different pedagogies in order to fully prepare pupils for the demands of the reading curriculum. This book explores the various approaches to developing higher level readers.

Expectations in primary English are high, particularly in reading. There is an emphasis on inference and deduction together with vocabulary development: two key elements for preparing pupils to access texts at a higher level. At the same time, there is also a change in the rhetoric around guided reading with teachers trying different pedagogies in order to fully prepare pupils for the demands of the reading curriculum. This book explores the various approaches to developing higher level readers.

The book covers research, theory and practical application of developing higher level readers within the primary classroom.

Reading fluency has been identified as a key component of proficient reading. Research has consistently demonstrated significant and substantial correlations between reading fluency and overall reading achievement. Despite the great potential for fluency to have a significant outcome on students’ reading achievement, it continues to be not well understood by teachers, school administrators and policy makers. The chapters in this volume examine reading fluency from a variety of perspectives. The initial chapter sketches the history of fluency as a literacy instruction component. Following chapters examine recent studies and approaches to reading fluency, followed by chapters that explore actual fluency instruction models and the impact of fluency instruction. Assessment of reading fluency is critical for monitoring progress and identifying students in need of intervention. Two articles on assessment, one focused on word recognition and the other on prosody, expand our understanding of fluency measurement. Finally, a study from Turkey explores the relationship of various reading competencies, including fluency, in an integrated model of reading. Our hope for this volume is that it may spark a renewed interest in research into reading fluency and fluency instruction and move toward making fluency instruction an even more integral part of all literacy instruction.

As teachers grapple with the challenge of a new, bigger and more challenging school curriculum, at every key stage and phase, success can feel beyond our reach. But what if there were 50,000 small solutions to help us bridge that gap? In Closing the Vocabulary Gap, the author explores the increased demands of an academic curriculum and how closing the vocabulary gap between our ‘word poor’ and ‘word rich’ students could prove the vital difference between school failure and success. This must-read book presents the case for teacher-led efforts to develop students' vocabulary and provides practical solutions for teachers across the curriculum, incorporating easy-to-use tools, resources and classroom activities.

The requirements of the National Literacy Strategy are fully addressed in this book on teaching reading at Key Stage 1 and before. It features coverage of the structure and use of the English language and gives an explanation of classroom planning and management, based on an understanding of how children learn and progress. Included is also practical guidance on effective teaching practice, embedded in a modern theoretical framework.

Why does the magical Tear Thief catch children's tears as they fall? Find out in this moving tale about how we express our feelings. Lyrical text by Carol Ann Duffy, one of the most prominent poets writing today, makes this a lovely read-aloud.

All her life, Moss has lived in the Tower of London with her father, who serves as the executioner for King Henry VIII. Prisoners condemned to death must face Pa and his axe—and Moss catches their severed heads. Her father insists he has no choice: if he leaves the Tower, he will be killed. But Moss can't bear to be the executioner's daughter any longer. When she finally finds a way out of the Tower, she discovers the river holds more dangers than she imagined—including the Riverwitch's curse. The Riverwitch once helped Moss's family in exchange for a terrible bargain; now she expects Moss to pay the debt.