Targeted Reading at Kurnai
Targeted Reading at Kurnai
All students are at different points in their learning, including their reading skills.
Fluent reading skills enhance all areas of learning and supports broader opportunities for the future. Explicit teaching of reading skills builds learner confidence and engagement in all classes.
What is TR@K?
TR@K is a Reading program for ALL Year 7 and 8 students at Kurnai College. It is based on the work of Dr. Carol Christensen (literacy consultant and cognitive psychologist) and supports reading growth for ALL students. The sessions are part of the timetable and run for 45 minutes four times a week.
Why Reading?
Reading is an important part of life - we read ALL the time, sometimes without even realising it. It is vital for learning, not only in English, but also in Maths, Science, Humanities, Food Technology, ICT, Art and Woodwork. To successfully complete VCE, students MUST complete and pass English, it is the only compulsory subject. To achieve a VCAL Certificate, students must demonstrate competency in the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Fluent reading skills open up a world of opportunities for students’ future.
Why this program?
The staff at Kurnai College have spent a number of years researching the best way to help students develop their reading skills. A number of secondary schools in Melbourne, QLD and Tasmania are using their own version of the TR@K program.
Our research showed the TR@K program (our adaptation of the program developed by Cognitive Psychologist, Carol Christensen) achieved significant achievement growth in NAPLAN data, engagement in other classes, learner confidence and student achievement.
Why is it successful?
TR@K is successful because it is NOT a withdrawal program (like Reading Recovery or Rainbow Reading) or an intervention program for individuals. It is targeting each and every student’s reading, no matter where they are on the reading continuum. If your child is a good reader, this program will help them become even better. If your child finds reading difficult, this program will help them improve.
Why are we running TR@K?
Data sets indicate that many of our students need to support to build their reading skills. Many students have gaps in their decoding skills, which can lead to ‘mis-reading’ even simple words and restricts their ability to decode new or unfamiliar words. This makes comprehension of a text harder. Automaticity in decoding (letter sounds) without mistakes means working memory can focus on making complex meaning from text.
What does TR@K mean for my child?
Students are screened to determine the next step of their learning in reading skills. They are grouped according to this data and targeted teaching of explicit reading skills occurs. These groupings are NOT the same as their normal class groupings. These groups are fluid, according to the reading growth demonstrated by individual students.
TR@K gives each student the best possible reading and comprehension skills they can achieve, not only for school but also VCE, trades and apprenticeships, jobs, the workplace and life. ALL students will become more fluent confident readers.
Each child learns what they need to learn, when they are ready to learn it.
What can you do to support TR@K?
· Attendance at school every day is vital.
· Provide positive reinforcement about the benefits of reading.
· Encourage your child to practise the skills and do their very best.
· Celebrate reading growth.