Resources

Dr Peter Brooks the author of the Adult Reading Test 2 (ART-2) will discuss how his test enables an assessor to assess an adult’s reading comprehension skill,

To consider the Adult Reading Test 2 (ART 2) and its use in FE and HE. The author of this test will explain how this test was designed and address the need to assess adults with reading comprehension difficulties. Reading comprehension is arguably the most difficult reading skill to assess as it involves assessing both word reading and language comprehension. ART 2: evolution, use, queries received will be addressed in this webinar. A 60-minute presentation with much time for discussion. Feedback from delegates who use the test would be welcome in this webinar.

Students who are offered specialist maths support are finding the subject difficult and are unlikely to be enjoying their maths. To begin their intervention lessons with more A4 pencil and paper tests will further erode their confidence. Also, such tests only demonstrate the knowledge that the student can present on paper, rather than what they really know.

To start them on the road to maths success their very first lesson needs to be positive and enjoyable, while at the same time mapping out what they really know, understand and can explain – diagnostic assessment allows teachers to listen to the students’ explanations.

Despite a widespread assumption that children can read when they leave primary education, nearly 20% of adolescents are not able to read simple texts accurately and with understanding. Most research on reading has focused on children and adults, neglecting the intervening adolescent period. In this presentation, I will present research on reading development in adolescence, exploring its link to spoken vocabulary knowledge, socio-economic status and the period when students transition from primary to secondary school. I will also introduce research evaluating our novel approach for promoting the amount that adolescents read in secondary school. Finally, I will summarise work that I have conducted with secondary schools on the identification

Since the government made systematic synthetic phonics compulsory in England there has been a growing emphasis on phonics teaching at phoneme level only, in the wider UK. This is not problematic, except in cases where phoneme level intervention is seen as an alternative to, or in opposition with, coarse grain level sounds, in particular patterns and sequences at the intra-syllabic (onset and rime) level. Onset and rime patterns facilitate the development of orthographic knowledge. They also reduce the working memory demands of short-term temporary storage in complex processing tasks such as decoding and encoding. Without this teaching, children who have orthographic processing and/or working memory difficulties are seriously disadvantaged.