English

As Term 3 draws to a close, the teachers at John Fawkner College are beginning to consider how we are going to meet the learning needs of students upon their eventual return to school. We are currently auditing student work submitted during Remote Learning to assess where our students are, and we are making adjustments to upcoming curriculum to ensure that students’ transition back to school is as smooth as possible. Considering the unusual circumstances of this year, we want to ensure that all students are prepared to move forward, equipped with the knowledge, skills and understanding they require to experience success in the classroom. 

This is especially true of the English faculty, who have recently spent time together closely analysing student learning data so that we are able to target those skills students often struggle with. What we found is that a number of students find it challenging to identify important elements of a text, and that our students sometimes find it difficult to provide interpretations about texts.

Being able to identify and interpret information when reading a text are skills that underpin success across all subject areas, and as such the English team are making adjustments to their curriculum so that we can target our teaching of these skills. We see the development of these skills as crucial work, because they are so important in allowing students to access their learning across every subject, not just English. 

Of course, you can help at home too! Research clearly demonstrates the significant influence of parents over their child’s engagement with learning, so if you would like to collaborate with us please read on for some ways that you can promote active and engaged reading at home.

Listen to them read aloud - When students read aloud, they are forced to go slower. It gives them more time to process what they have read, which in turn helps them to understand what they have read. It is doubly beneficial for students to see and hear words at the same time, so consider taking turns reading aloud with your child.

Provide books at the right level - We don’t always have a choice in what we read at school, but there is a choice at home. So, wherever possible try to ensure that your child is getting lots of practice reading for enjoyment, and that what they are reading is not too hard. They should recognise at least 90% of the words without any help. Stopping any more often than that to figure out a word makes it challenging for kids to focus on the overall meaning of the text.

Re-read to build fluency - To gain meaning from text and encourage reading comprehension, your child needs to read quickly and smoothly – this is also known as fluency. Rereading familiar, simply texts gives your child practice at decoding words quickly, so they’ll become more fluent in their reading comprehension.

Talk to the teacher - If you have noticed that your child is really struggling with what they have to read for their classes, let their teacher know. That way, the teacher can provide greater support for your child and decide on the next steps to take.

Supplement their class reading - Being familiar with the context, theme or style of a text really helps students to understand what they are reading because they can draw on their prior knowledge. If your child’s class is studying a particular theme, look for easy-to-read internet sources, books or magazine articles on the topic. This will help them make their way through the tougher classroom texts and promote reading comprehension because they will be able to make connections between what they already know and what they are learning from the text.

Talk with them about what they’re reading - This ‘verbal processing’ helps them remember and think through the themes of the book. In particular, focus on ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions, as these force students to identify the most significant elements of a text, and provide a personal interpretation about what they have read.

On behalf of the entire English department, thank you for your ongoing support. We look forward to continuing our work with both you and your child to continue to improve their experience in the English classroom.

Ashleigh Hudson

English Domain Leader