Reading Skills

The 2013 OECD report found English students aged between 16 to 18 to be the lowest ranking among their `peers` within developed countries. Japan and Korea both being top of the class.

Much debate has taken place as to why our education system has reached such a level of inadequacy. Do we prepare our children for school too early e.g. 4.5 years old, well no, because Asian countries adopt a similar model.

As a teacher, tutor, parent and coach with vast experience teaching people from all cultures and age groups I believe there are three key problems, which are not being addressed by the Curriculum or the Government.

The first of which, is the low level of numeracy and literacy attained by students by Year 6. As any teacher will be aware, if a student had not synthesised their learning by this stage and therefore not consolidated their subject knowledge then by the time they reach year 7, there is little to know formal teaching time to revisit these core areas. It is these very areas which will be progressed throughout key stage 3 and beyond. Numeracy is slightly different Professors I have spoken with during my research, have referred to the need for students to `build` upon their mathematical knowledge, like building blocks, one area dependent upon the other.

In addition to this, students go through rapid emotional and physical changes at this age Between 10 and 11 hormones, peer pressure, family issues and physical changes all take their toll, as they become `Tweenies` .Placing a significant burden on the child and potentially hindering the students learning journey.

Moreover, social media plays a significant role, not only due to the amount of time Young people spend surfing the net, as I believe it dumbs down these active young minds. I call it the `Kardashian effect`.

Google for example, enables us to skim and scan information , without the need to focus and search for the information using our own cognitive processes e.g. through inference, reflection etc .

It is not surprising that this lack of sustained focus is now impeding reading skills, the ability to analyse and reflect and critic what has been read.

I see this with many of my students, when they attempt comprehension questions, the younger students are more thorough, whereas the older students skim and scan articles without actively reading and searching for the effect or meaning behind the narrative voice etc The same often applies to poetry analysis.

Moreover, we should not forget the many undiagnosed learning challenges your learner face which often go undiagnosed through a lack of knowledge, expertise and the fact that the NHS does not recognise Dyslexia as a medical condition and therefore diagnosis must be sought privately. Furthermore, teachers are not refined to support these students and this in itself may lead go challenging behaviour in class and do the cycle continues.

Thankfully, I have tools and techniques to overcome these hurdles and to coach students back on their learning path.