Literacy and Numeracy

More information

Inverclyde Educational Psychology Service (IEPS) has been working in partnership with West Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire Councils as part of the Literacy Hub/Consortia based approaches to improving literacy outcomes. The three councils are working collaboratively to implement reciprocal teaching in selected primary schools to improve reading comprehension and other reading skills. Reciprocal teaching is based on a discussion technique that is built on four strategies that confident readers use to understand text: predicting, questioning, clarifying, summarising. Research has shown that readers who engage in reciprocal teaching not only improve in their reading level but also retain more of the material covered in the text.

Primary 7 pupil comments

“I can learn through reciprocal teaching by learning new skills like clarifying, summarising, questioning and predicting.”

“I like reciprocal teaching because I understand the text more than I do just reading it.”

“I like that it gave me more confidence. I learned to not be afraid to answer out.”

IEPS is currently supporting other schools to pilot reciprocal teaching by evaluating the impact of the teaching and learning approach within the classroom. Further discussion in relation to implementing reciprocal teaching within all Inverclyde schools will take place at the Literacy Coordinators meetings.

IEPS continues to support the development of literacy and numeracy skills through production of leaflets which can be accessed by children, young people, parents/carers and schools. (web link to paired reading and maths leaflets)

Comments from S1 pupils involved in Paired Reading

"It helps me to be able to read harder words."

"This has helped me a lot in subjects."