Reading Partners

Henley Green Primary School, Coventry

Introduction

The children selected to take part in the online reading partners programme at Henley Green Primary School were the year 6 class. The programme has been incorporated into the children’s guided reading sessions. This class has a wide range of reading abilities and therefore the children were split into reading groups based on ability.

The books that were chosen:

Term One

Group One – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows By JK Rowling

Group Two – The Firework Makers Daughter by Philip Pullman

Group Three – Cool By Michael Morpurgo

Group Four – Livewire Real Lives Ant & Dec

Group Five – Livewire Chillers The Haunted School

Term Two

Group One – The Toilet of Doom by Michael Lawrence

Group Two – How to Train your Parents by Pete Johnson

Group Three – The Gift Boat by Peter Dickinson

Group Four – Livewire Chillers The Box

Group Five – Livewire Chillers The House of Fun

Term Three

To Be Confirmed

Programme Management

At Henley Green Primary School the programme has been managed by the year 6 teaching assistant under the supervision of the class teacher. Pauline has worked out a number of strategies that help support the children through the programme, and helps the children structure their messages. One of Pauline’s own staff development targets was to improve her ICT usage and therefore the programme has allowed her to achieve this and she is finding it very enjoyable. The key to a successful reading partners programme is the effective management of the programme by a member of staff. Pauline is doing an excellent job in managing the programme and making it fit in the children’s individual needs.

Questions and Answers               

1.       What do you think is the biggest benefit to Online Reading Partners?

The programme has provided the children with the opportunity to produce pieces of writing that actually have a purpose and not just writing for the sake of writing. The children have found this especially beneficial and it has encouraged and motivated them to write more.

2.       How did the children react to have an online reading partner?

The children have been particularly engaged by the fact that they are communicating with an adult that isn’t a teacher or a member of their family and also that they are not another child or teenager. This is particularly important as they are engaging with adults that have a job and enjoy their work whereas the people in their lives in main do not work. This is a very positive influence on the children so that they can see that there is another way of life.

3.       Has the online reading partners programme had an impact on the children’s reading?

The children have been very keen to participate in the reading element of the programme and have enjoyed the books that they have read. The effect of increased levels of motivation and enthusiasm has shown that the children have been more engaged with their reading and has shown a positive impact on the children’s reading.

4.       Did the programme affect the children’s attitude to reading?

The biggest effect on the children’s attitude to reading has been with the lower ability groups that have been reading the Livewire books. It has enabled some of the poorer readers to really engage them and they have promoted the reading to others in the class.

5.       Which group do you think benefited most from the programme?

Each group has benefited in a different way depending on their specific needs. The programme on the whole has improved their motivation and promoted a more positive attitude towards reading and writing.

6.       What part of the programme have the children enjoyed most?

The children definitely enjoy receiving the messages from their reading partners the most and then developing their responses.

7.       How do you think the programme could be improved?

In future I would hold a parents meeting at the beginning of the programme to get them more involved so they could promote the programme at home.

8.       Has there been any measurable improvement in the children’s abilities?

The most significant improvement has been in the standard of the written messages that the children send to their mentors. The messages are getting more substantial in content and require significantly less correction before the messages are sent.

9.       What do you think is the most valuable aspect of the programme?

The children get the opportunity to communicate with other adults, in a format that appeals to them; e.g. email. It also provides a purpose to their writing whilst discussing a common theme in terms of their reading book.

10.   Would you have funded this programme?

I would definitely have funded this programme and I am planning to continue for as long as possible. There is also the added bonus that the school gets to keep all the books so for us this is definitely a win - win situation.