Literacy Notes
'Coaching or Time' - A Helpful Reading Technique
As teachers and parents when we listen to our students and children read, we are very quick to jump in with well-intentioned helpfulness when they stumble on a word. This doesn’t allow children time to work out the word for themselves.
A technique we have been trialling in our Year 2 classroom is ‘Coaching or Time’. When the students are reading to each other in the classroom and their partner gets stuck on a word, they give them three seconds and then they ask, 'Would you like Coaching or Time?'. If the reader says 'time' they can have more time to work out the word for themselves. If they say 'coaching', the coach suggests a strategy to help the reader.
Strategies could include, looking at the picture for a clue, chunking the letters and sounds, reading on to see if the text gives a clue, or looking at the initial sound. If the reader still is unable to read the word, the coach should supply the word and the reader should then reread the sentence correctly.
By implementing this technique instead of instantly giving the student the word, they have the opportunity to use various reading strategies they have learnt. This is a valuable technique to use at home when listening to your children read.
Donations for Classroom Libraries
'Giving is not just about making a donation, it is about making a difference' – Kathy Calvin
Well, you have certainly made a difference with the donations of books to supplement our classroom libraries so a very big thank you to our wonderfully generous parent community for passing those books our way!
The BNPS staff quickly adopted the habit of strolling past the book donation table after morning briefing and browsing for titles that would be suitable for their Year level. There have been delighted cries of 'I love this book!', 'The kids will really enjoy this one', 'I can’t wait to read this to them'. The children also stop to look and sometimes select as they pass which means that we are well on the way to being so well-resourced with ‘literature of substance’ to entice our children into the wonderful world of reading.
If you are having a clean out in the holidays, feel free to donate any pre-loved titles which are suitable for the Primary years. After the holidays our Fete committee will be putting a call out for books for their book stall so the donations can continue, just with a different end destination. All in support of a worthwhile cause – your child’s education!
Yours in Literacy
Jo Taylor & Tania Purton
Literacy Coordinators
