Case Study 3: North Bristol
School Background
Case Study 3 is from a mixed, community junior school located in a suburb of north west Bristol. There are 295 pupils on roll, aged between 7 and 11. Almost all pupils have English as their first language. The number of pupils entitled to free school meals is below the national average.
How have the materials been used in school?
The reading books were used with 7 year 3 pupils, 2 girls and 5 boys. All of the pupils had started on stage 4 reading books but some progressed on to stage 5. The Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) and a teaching assistant read the books with the pupils. The school decided to begin by having every pupil reading the same book.
What did the school think of the reading books?
The teacher and teaching assistant who had used the books with the pupils felt that there had been a dramatic improvement in the children's reading accuracy after only a couple of books. They felt the Before Reading page was a good idea and said that pupils seemed to identify the Tricky Words in the text. The Quiz page was also well liked and the teacher commented that this approach could be extended further by incorporating further questions within the body of the text. The teacher felt at first that the books might be more 'boy friendly', but after using the materials she found the girls were equally motivated to use the books.
The size of the text and the way it was presented also received positive comments,
'the text is slightly larger than in other books, which is good, but the pupils don't question it'.
The cream backgrounds were well liked and the short chunks on each page were felt to be helpful,
'there is a happy medium between pictures and text'.
The teacher also spoke about how the pupils remained on-task whilst reading the books,
'we were reading in a lobby area with other children going past but they kept reading and other children were really interested'.
It was felt the books would be particularly suitable for reluctant boy readers,
'often they like a subject but it is too advanced. We don't have much non-fiction stuff.'
The teacher summed up the books by adding,
'I can't imagine putting these on the bookshelf and them not being chosen'.
What did the school like most about the reading books?
The mix of fiction and non-fiction texts was well liked. It was also noted that pupils liked it when the non-fiction text came first. This aspect was particularly successful in the 1:1 reading sessions.
Teachers commented that the content is the 'perfect length and size' and
' I liked the idea of the theme running through the books', a 'happy medium between pictures and text is provided throughout.'
What do the pupils think?
The 3 pupils who were spoken to about using the books were asked to rate the reading books by giving a 'thumbs up' or a 'thumbs down'. All 3 pupils gave the books a 'thumbs up'.
The teacher said that all pupils have been'totally captivated' and went on to mention that,
'all other children in year 3 are asking when they get their go'.
She also said,
'I had to take some children out of ICT and dance lessons to read and not one child complained'.
The teachers also commented that all the pupils remembered the name of the book they had been reading when they were asked about it the following day and they could remember information from it,
'they were recommending the books and really talking about them'.
The teacher spoke about specific examples of impacts the books had on pupils. One pupil in particular had been a reluctant reader both in school and at home but had enjoyed using the books and had taken the books home to read with a parent. For another pupil, the books had fired his imagination and he became very involved in the subject matter. Another pupil became more aware of her speaking and listening skills,
'I found she was a more able reader than I thought she was. It was very motivating for her.'
The pupils themselves also spoke positively about the books. They said they had learnt new things in the books.
'It was fun because you read and learn'
' you have a real section and a story and you have questions. You don't often have real pictures in your stories'.
The pupils also liked the jokes and said they looked forward to their reading sessions.
Overall
The school was very positive about the reading books and pupils were keen to use them. The reading books were already having an impact on several of the pupils, both in their reading ability levels and motivation to read.
Back to Rapid case studies overview