Literacy: reading, spelling and writing

Separate the component skills

Listen to a short passage at an appropriate level and ask the pupil to explain it. Compare understanding when an adult reads the same material. Accurate but slow reading suggests a different teaching need from fluent reading with poor comprehension. For writing, compare an oral explanation, a dictated sentence and independent work.

Match teaching to the barrier

For insecure decoding, use explicit teaching aligned with the school’s systematic phonics programme and text containing taught correspondences. Do not teach guessing from pictures as a substitute for reading the word. For effortful fluency, model and support rereading of a manageable passage. For comprehension, teach vocabulary and demonstrate how evidence across sentences supports meaning.

A classroom example

A pupil reads a familiar book successfully but guesses unfamiliar words. Try new words containing the same taught spellings and note exactly where blending breaks down. Teach that correspondence and practise it in fresh words. Continue access to interesting stories and subject knowledge through discussion or adult reading.

Review transfer

Check fresh material as well as rehearsed lists. For spelling, inspect whether a practised pattern appears in ordinary writing. Keep support respectful of the pupil’s age and interests; additional skill teaching should accompany participation in class learning.

Further reading

EEF: Improving Literacy in Key Stage 1 · EEF: Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2

General guidance for school staff. Apply professional judgement, current school policies and advice based on the individual pupil’s circumstances.