Improving reading and writing in schools
Big impact from small ideas
“I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in.”
- Robert Louis Stevenson
Overview
In English classes, students frequently ask why they need to complete the work since they “already speak English”. This lack of understanding about what English is and what it can do is hugely detrimental to literacy outcomes.
To combat this, I’ve listed multiple ideas to change cultural attitudes and disposition towards reading and writing (even if not directly related to curriculum learning).
Admittedly, these ideas require educator support; and sometimes funding.
The additional administrative workload is also burdensome for English department staff who already have discipline-specific constraints to grapple with.
My suggestion is for teacher aides to take up some of this workload under the direction of teachers/student support officers/department heads - perhaps even as a duty during break times:
Teacher aides already have job descriptions which allow for small group supervision;
Library teacher aides are already well-inducted into literature and library life.
The breadth of ideas is purposeful to try to encourage students to think more broadly about what constitutes “English”; how they personally relate to the subject, and what it might do for them and their families.
Reading
Make reading fun and engaging
Promote public libraries and their summer reading clubs;
Give books or book vouchers as awards/prizes;
Book-themed escape room or scavenger hunt;
Take part in a reading challenge such as the Premier’s Reading Challenge;
Celebrate days such as Indigenous Literacy Day (4th September 2024);
Host a book swap in the library;
“Reward” early-finishers in class with time in the reading nook;
Start a community street library; set a design/woodwork assessment where students create their own street libraries to take home;
Encourage students to obtain a book from a street library and write a review;
Subscribe to McSweeney’s for the unboxing fun alone!
Role model reading
Encourage parents to read set texts, alongside their children;
Regularly share what you’re reading in class;
Collaborate with programs like Beyond the Broncos and encourage NRL stars to share what they’re reading with students;
Profile staff/students and their favourite books on social media/intranet/daily student notices.
Challenge reading perceptions
Encourage listening to audiobooks;
Encourage reading graphic novels;
Blind date a book - wrap a book in paper and include a short description, to encourage students to branch outside of their preferred reading genres;
Host book bingo and encourage students to read more broadly;
Start a book club or “theme” club (e.g. a zombie theme: members watch 1 film; read 1 book and 1 article);
Teach books with movie adaptations to compare and contrast (i.e. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies).
Access
Keep newspapers, literary magazines, articles in class for casual reading;
Support local publishing houses such as UQP and giveaway books (the First Nations classic book pack is great!);
Collaborate with public libraries to take their “weeded” books, particularly young adult fiction;
Support independent book shops for readings/performances:
Shelf Lovers (Woolowin) - LGBTQ+ and romance book store
Bent Books (West End) - second-hand book store
Riverbend Books (Bulimba)
Avid Reader (West End)
Writing
Make writing fun
Set zines as an assessment item; celebrate submissions with a zine display in the library;
Competitions - slam poetry, song writing, haiku, essay writing, rap, short story etc.;
Words games - Wordle, Spelling Bee, Scrabble;
Literary brain breaks - mini crossword puzzles, guess the book/author, creating the most words from different letters;
Challenge writing perceptions
Write letters - to a past/future self; to a teacher, friend, parent, dog etc.;
Start a creative writing club;
Start a school paper; publish exemplary writing from assessment submissions (with permission) - recipes from Home Economics; art submissions etc.;
As an added bonus, students can use their published work in portfolios.
Community writing initiatives
Invite the community into schools and run a writing workshop;
Host a writer through Brisbane Writers Festival;
Start a street library featuring community writing;
Collaborate with university students on internships for a Community Writing Hub - assist the community with writing tasks such as applications, grants, accessing services, and writing alongside their children doing schoolwork.
As always - let me know your thoughts. Subscribers can comment below; otherwise you can email me at teacheraideqld@gmail.com