07 May 2008

Reading Contracts and Target Box under-way

Well, this week I started a couple of ideas from my Harry Hood professional development course.  Both are programmes that I will run for four weeks, then switch over for the second half of term.

The reading contract I have set up integrates with our energy/electricity topic study and has students generating questions to research and then present an interactive learning centre for other students to view.  I will see this group (of capable readers) once a week for a specific reading skills teaching session.  I have been impressed with their positive attitude and engagement in self-directed independent work.

The other group (of fairly confident readers) I have on a reading mileage programme called 'target box' where over four weeks they will be aiming to read as many (mostly short) books as possible.  They also have a list of possible follow-up activities to choose from, which they do on a 3:1 basis.  That is, they can choose one follow up activity for one in every 3 books/articles they read.

Both have got off to a good start, and I hope this will allow me time to focus some planning for the more regular teacher sessions I have with my other two lower reading groups.