How to solve the literacy crisis in schools | Letters
Readers respond to a report that disadvantaged white children have lower reading fluency than other groups, leading to disengagement and school absenceThe critical issue of secondary school reading fluency is...
By Guardian Staff · The Guardian Opinion
Readers respond to a report that disadvantaged white children have lower reading fluency than other groups, leading to disengagement and school absence The critical issue of secondary school reading fluency is not a new problem ( Third of disadvantaged white pupils in England leave primary school without being able to read properly, 4 July ). A fundamental inability to access the curriculum due to poor reading and comprehension has always been the case for a significant cohort of students entering secondary education, although this has increased over time. As a secondary school teacher, I am frequently left wondering about the exact nature of the literacy instruction occurring in some primary schools. Year after year, pupils entering year 7 lack the basic decoding and automaticity required to engage with secondary-level texts. Continue reading...