Reading for meaning: developing a whole-school philosophy

Teaching reading is one of the most important jobs a primary school does. These downloadable slides and accompanying resources support practitioners in primary schools to explore and evaluate their teaching of reading for meaning.

Reshaping approaches to reading for meaning in your school

This resource has been designed for primary literacy leaders to use within staff meetings and INSET days.

It consists of the following components:

• Slides to be used in a staff training session
• A guidance document for the session lead
• A reading list for further research

This training session invites teachers to think more deeply about their current practice around the teaching of reading comprehension or reading for meaning. It introduces key insights from recent research to develop teachers’ knowledge and to support best practice. It is structured in the following way:

• A brief overview of the core elements involved in the teaching of reading
• Prompts to invite an exploration of the current philosophy and practice of reading for meaning in your setting
• A chance to identify areas for development in the teaching of reading for meaning

Through reflection and discussion, guided by the best available research, teachers and school leaders can shape a shared philosophy and practice for the effective teaching of reading for meaning.

Further support

Our Primary Literacy Guide supports teachers and leaders to implement evidence-informed developments in their school.

Our CPD course Teaching Reading in Key Stage 2 is designed to help teachers develop strategies for improving reading comprehension.