Reading Instruction in the Primary Grades
Instructional Materials
The curriculum does not prescribe the use of specific instruction materials. Rather, teachers usually decide which materials to use in consultation with the school’s head teacher and subject coordinators. Teachers are encouraged to be creative and to use flexibility in consideration of their students’ needs and capabilities when choosing instructional materials. Textbooks and instructional materials developed by commercial publishers do not require governmental approval; however, the Department for Education provides a catalog of approved products to help schools and teachers make informed choices about the materials they use for phonics instruction.17,18
Use of Technology
The national curriculum contains no policies specifically related to the use of technology for English language or reading instruction. While the Department for Education recognizes that technology enables schools to take advantage of new opportunities and learn what works in instruction, it is up to school leaders to decide how and where to implement technology in the classroom. Schools take different approaches to technology. For example, some have embedded it into everything they do, with every student having his or her own device and the curriculum being delivered using blended learning techniques. In contrast, some schools do not use technology at all.
Role of Reading Specialists
Schools deploy reading specialists to support individual students as needed. At the school level, designated specialist leaders of education support other schools in the teaching of specialist areas such as phonics through coaching, facilitating and training, and joint action planning.19
Second Language Instruction
The cultural and linguistic diversity of the English population means that schools accommodate students who are learning English as an additional language (EAL). The Department for Education expects EAL learning to take place within the curriculum where teachers should take account of the students’ needs depending on their age, length of stay in the country, previous educational experience, and ability in other languages.20 Teachers are expected to provide EAL students with opportunities to develop their English skills so they may take part and succeed in all subjects. Although the specifics of EAL instruction are not outlined in the curriculum, the Department for Education has provided some guidance on teaching EAL students effectively, including an introductory guide titled Excellence and Enjoyment: Learning and Teaching for Bilingual Children in the Primary Years.21 Currently, local authorities have the ability to allocate funding to help schools support their EAL students and to decide, in consultation with local schools, how much funding each student should be allocated. Schools also can use their student premium funding to improve the academic progress and attainment of EAL students who are classified as being disadvantaged.
Accommodation Policies for Instruction and Testing
The systems for supporting students with special education needs or disabilities, together with the underpinning legislation (the 2014 Children and Families Act and the 2010 Equality Act), require schools to provide the right support in the classroom to meet the needs of individual students. In teaching students with special needs, schools should take action to remove barriers to learning and put effective special educational provisions in place. Reasonable adjustments to statutory tests may be needed to allow students to access these assessments fully. Primary school students with special needs may, for example, be provided with note takers, extra time, or a modified examination format. In the classroom, these students receive teaching assistance as needed.22