• pick out key words or events; unknown words (eg. underlining, highlighting)
• explain cultural references/nuances/homonyms including ambiguous phrases and hidden meanings
• provide dictionary / thesaurus work
• reinforce subject specific language and use vocabulary building strategies: word banks at appropriate level, crosswords, word searches, matching vocabulary with definitions etc
• identify and highlight specific language structures associated with particular types of text/genres to support pupils’ understanding and control of style/tone/genre etc
• practise hot seating characters
• use strategies such as SOLO taxonomy to develop higher order thinking and collaborative learning
• scaffold questions leading to how / why question
• ask specific skimming questions
• ask specific scanning questions
• use colour coding/numbering etc to identify different types of information in text
• discuss figures of speech, simile, metaphor, personification
• discuss symbolism/allegory
• use running dictation
• ask pupils to match headlines to pictures / titles to texts e.g. in text books, newspapers
• ask pupils to identify topic sentences of paragraphs
• use Reciprocal Reading techniques (predicting, clarifying, questioning and summarising) to engage pupils with text giving each a role/responsibility within a group reading task
• encourage pupils to look for bias and recognise different perspectives of a common event
• make cross-curricular references, links and glossaries (mono and bilingual)
• DARTS activities including:-
  • use collaborative reading activities eg information gap, jigsaw reading etc.
  • ask pupil to transfer or remodel information from a text into a key visual by using graphic organisers such as  tables, classifying information, sequencing of key points
  • gap fill activities and cloze procedures
  • encourage prediction about text content using visual and contextual cues

Back to Strategies overview

• For: Art, Biology, CDT, Chemistry, Drama, English, ESOL, Geography, History, I.T., Maths, Modern Studies, Music, Nursery - P1, P.E., P2 - 4, P5 - 7, Parents, Physics, Primary, Science, Secondary, SFL
• Purpose: Best Practice, Literacy Support

• pick out key words (g. underlining, highlighting) to help understanding
• preview text (g. pre teach key words prior to meeting in text, ideas, subject matter, share similar stories) and use mindmaps etc
• establish peer modelling and provide opportunities to talk about text pictures/illustrations with a partner
• encourage re-reading
• use teacher/adult-led shared reading strategies
• listen to stories for intonation / developing reading stamina
• set up role play activities / act out play scripts
• explain cultural references/nuances/homonyms
• provide dictionary / thesaurus work
• reinforce subject specific language
• use visual / audio / video support for text
• provide opportunities to link reading to personal experiences
• practise hot seating characters
• provide a framework to ask / answer questions about the text eg. who, what, where grid
• write book reviews
• use running dictation
• make cross-curricular references, links and glossaries (mono and bilingual)
• DARTS activities including:-
  • use collaborative reading activities eg information gap, jigsaw reading etc.
  • processes, matching the beginning and ends of sentences etc
  • ask pupil to find/match/highlight letters in words, words in texts, phrases in texts
  • ask pupil to transfer or remodel information from a text into a key visual by using graphic organisers such as  tables, classifying information, sequencing of key points
  • gap fill activities and cloze procedures
  • encourage prediction about text content using visual and contextual cues
• scaffold questions leading to how / why question
• Use strategies such as SOLO taxonomy to develop higher order thinking and collaborative learning

Back to Strategies overview

• For: Art, Biology, CDT, Chemistry, Drama, English, ESOL, Geography, History, I.T., Maths, Modern Studies, Music, Nursery - P1, P.E., P2 - 4, P5 - 7, Parents, Physics, Primary, Science, Secondary, SFL
• Purpose: Best Practice, Literacy Support

• provide talking texts – use text speaking software available on Google Docs and other software such as Read&Write
• text  in first language: is the text available in the pupil’s first language
• provide visual cues, use props/actions/puppets etc as appropriate
• have a rich, clearly contextualised print environment (making links across the curriculum)
• establish peer modelling  and provide opportunities to talk about text pictures/illustrations with a partner
• DARTS activities including:-
  • use collaborative reading activities eg information gap, jigsaw reading etc.
  • processes, matching the beginning and ends of sentences etc
  • ask pupil to find/match/highlight letters in words, words in texts, phrases in texts
  • ask pupil to transfer information from a text into a key visual by using graphic organisers such as  tables, classifying information, sequencing of key points
  • gap fill activities and cloze procedures
  • encourage prediction about text content using visual and contextual cues
• Use strategies such as SOLO taxonomy to develop higher order thinking and collaborative learning
• Encourage the on-going use of picture/dual language/English dictionary as appropriate
• pre teach key words prior to meeting in text and also Pip St John materials
• ask focused questions to check or confirm understanding of text
• provide support and encourage pupils to make own books and word banks in English and / or home language
• after reading ask for verbal summary of reading
• for older pupils provide character lists and summaries of longer class texts/novels etc

Back to Strategies overview

• For: Art, Biology, CDT, Chemistry, Drama, English, ESOL, Geography, History, I.T., Maths, Modern Studies, Music, Nursery - P1, P.E., P2 - 4, P5 - 7, Parents, Physics, Primary, Science, Secondary, SFL
• Purpose: Best Practice, Literacy Support

• share reading (books with illustrations)
• with younger pupils choose books which have repetitive, predictable patterns of language and are visually well supported
• model following print with finger / pen
• model letter names and sounds
• provide talking texts – use text speaking software available on Google Docs and other software such as Read&Write
• provide dual language books / dictionaries / ICT to demonstrate or explain words and phrases
• provide visual cues, use props/actions/puppets etc as appropriate
• have a rich, clearly contextualised print environment (cross curricular)
• establish peer modelling
• read back any writing, pupil and teacher
• ask for/ provide / demonstrate meanings of words
• play word games eg word pairs/word & picture ‘bingo’ etc
• DARTS activities including:-
  • ask pupils to work collaboratively to sequence pictures  or words with simple written text, sentences, instructions, processes etc
  • ask pupil to find/match/highlight letters in words, words in texts, phrases in texts
  • ask pupils to choose between True/False statements to show understanding of text
  • label diagrams/texts/pictures/illustrations with prepared cards (words and phrases), matching words to diagrams
  • gap fill activities
• annotate text with translations of key words/phrases into first language
• make picture dictionary/word bank in English and home language
• pre teach key words prior to meeting in text and also Pip St John materials
• ensure word level work is appropriate

Back to Strategies overview

• For: Art, Biology, CDT, Chemistry, Drama, English, ESOL, Geography, History, I.T., Maths, Modern Studies, Music, Nursery - P1, P.E., P2 - 4, P5 - 7, Parents, Physics, Primary, Science, Secondary, SFL
• Purpose: Best Practice, Literacy Support