Literacy

Partnered reading at Jamestown Primary

An image of a P1 and P7 pupil reading together

P6/P7 pupils at Jamestown Primary in Balloch have been taking part in an exciting project aimed at improving the reading skills of P1 pupils.

Reading sessions

Partnered reading sessions take place first thing in the morning. The main focus is the consolidation of reading skills, phonics and sight vocabulary for those who would benefit from extra practice and one-to-one attention. Pupils are identified in a variety of ways, including the use of baseline assessments.

The sessions run smoothly due to careful planning and organisation. Letter names and initial sounds are revised each day. Phonics specific to individual pupil development are also read from cards prepared in line with the school’s programme. 

Senior reading partners receive training in how to blend the letter sounds correctly; as fluent readers, they may not always be fully conscious of how phonemes are constructed. The P6/P7 phonics cards have examples of words alongside the sounds to remind them of pronunciation. The order that the pupils read the sounds in is alternated so that they cannot be memorised.

Partners also hear the younger pupils reading aloud from their core reading book, and encourage them to sound out words if they are stuck. As one P7 pupil commented: ‘The readers are not pushed to get it right first time every time. We encourage them.’

Not only are the P1s encouraged to demonstrate technical accuracy, but they are also asked questions about what they are reading to show understanding.

Image of three P7 girls in front of wall display

Pupil benefits

Since the project was set up, teaching staff have observed an improvement in pupils' confidence in reading. Regular assessments are carried out at the suggestion of the older pupils to allow children to progress at an appropriate rate through their phonics programme. The younger pupils respond well to their partners, who act as role models and provide an alternative means of support from that given by teachers or parents.

The senior pupils have welcomed the adoption of more responsibility and the opportunity to try out different strategies to assist their younger partners. They feel that they are making a difference to the lives of others in the school and enjoy establishing close relationships with the younger pupils, who look up to them. There have also been positive responses from parents, with some becoming more involved in helping their child read at home.

A longer-term aim of the project is to bring the pupil reading age closer to chronological age.