Fix it reading - teacher handbook and student workbook

Designed to support struggling readers aged 11-14 whose reading attainment has fallen behind their expected level, Fix it reading is a KS3 literacy intervention programme based on practical, evidence-based reading comprehension strategies. 

Fix it reading supports struggling readers, by building their confidence and enjoyment in reading. 

The Fix it reading teacher handbook, for experienced English teachers, non-subject specialists, literacy coordinators and TAs, will take you step-by-step through the 12-week programme, with detailed lesson plans and practical CPD guidance on how and why these reading comprehension strategies work for literacy intervention. 

The Fix it reading student workbook provides everything students need to catch up, including engaging texts to read, classroom activities and worksheets. 

It’s been designed to support Pupil Premium students, as well as students whose progress in reading has been negatively affected by Covid-19 school closures. It also supports learners whose reading age doesn’t correspond to their chronological age, and younger learners who have transitioned from primary school but are not at the expected level for their reading.

The lessons are devised for 1:1, small group and whole group intervention sessions or as a complementary resource in English classes. 

Key features of this reading intervention programme:

• The 60-page teacher's handbook includes 12 detailed lesson plans, starter and plenary ideas, homework tasks and evidence-based teaching notes and CPD guidance. 

• The accompanying 69-page student workbook builds learners’ reading and literacy skills and includes carefully selected texts to engage struggling readers. It also includes worksheets and activities to develop their independent reading skills and reading fluency, and word reading and decoding strategies to develop their vocabulary skills.

• Includes fiction and non-fiction texts on a range of engaging themes, with extracts from accessible young adult novels chosen to appeal to key stage 3 learners like City of Ghosts, Home Ground and The Hound of the Baskervilles. It also includes graphic novels, news articles, websites, and fact sheets to anticipate some of the text forms and genres of writing English students will encounter at GCSE.

• Complements our popular KS3 writing intervention programme, Fix it writing, which develops students’ writing skills and provides targeted learning support for students.  

What's inside the teacher handbook?

An introduction to Fix it reading

• How to use the teacher handbook 

• Understanding a student’s reading level and reading age

• What difficulties do struggling readers face at secondary school?

• The learning experience for struggling readers: advice for teachers 

• What does an improved reader look like? 

• Selecting appropriate texts to read

• Reading and the whole-school setting

Section 1: Practical reading comprehension strategies 

1a Practical strategies for supporting students’ comprehension

• Lesson 1 

• Lesson 2

• Lesson 3

1b Practical strategies for inferring meaning

• Lesson 4

• Lesson 5

1c Practical strategies for summarising

• Lesson 6 

• Lesson 7

1d Practical strategies for word recognition

• Lesson 8

• Lesson 9

Section 2: Group reading strategies 

2a Reading aloud 

2b Reciprocal reading

• Lesson 10

• Lesson 11

• Lesson 12

Teacher observations: Reading confidence and progress 

Parental tips for supporting reading 

Bibliography 

What's inside the Fix it reading student workbook?

Introduction

• Reading survey

• Reading strategies

Lesson 1: Skimming and scanning 

• Text 1: ‘UK Black Lives Matter protesters pull down statue of slave trader…’ (news article)

Lesson 2: Predictions and questions 

• Text 2: 12 Years a Slave (memoir)

Lesson 3: Questions and signposts 

• Text 3a: Modern slavery factsheet (non-fiction)

• Text 3b: Universal Declaration of Human Rights (non-fiction)

• Text 3c: Stories of Freedom – Judith, Tanzania (non-fiction)

Lesson 4: Inference 

• Text 4: Patina by Jason Reynolds (fiction)

Lesson 5: Inference 

• Text 5: Home Ground by Alan Gibbons (fiction)

Lesson 6: Summarising and note-taking 

• Text 6: ‘Kids' Survival Guide: Practical Skills for Intense Situations’ (non-fiction)

Lesson 7: Summarising and note-taking 

• Text 7: ‘Eating insects: Should we be eating more? Why are they so good?’ (news article)

Lesson 8: Word detectives (word decoding strategies)

Lesson 9: Word detectives (word decoding strategies)

• Text 9: ‘The Pie Thief’ (graphic short story)

Lesson 10: Reciprocal reading 

• Text 10: City of Ghosts – part 1 (fiction)

Lesson 11: Reciprocal reading 

• Text 11: City of Ghosts – part 2 (fiction)

Lesson 12: Reciprocal reading

• Text 12: The Hound of the Baskervilles (fiction)

Answers

About the writer of our intervention programme:

Annabel Wall has taught English for over 20 years and currently works for a Hospital Education and Reintegration service (HERS) within a large MAT. A former second in department, she’s also an educational consultant and writer for BBC Bitesize and the author of a wide range of educational resources, textbooks and GCSE revision guides.