better-reading-support-partners
Intervention
Better Reading Support Partners
Years/Age range
Y1-7
Type of children
Children who have moderate difficulties with reading (in Key Stage 1, those who have fallen slightly below the level of their peers; in Key Stages 2 and 3, those whose reading age is below their chronological age)
Child/Adult ratio
1:1
Length of intervention
7½ hours over 10 weeks
Brief description
This is a ‘light-touch’ Wave 2 programme which aims to raise the attainment of children who can read but who lack fluency, understanding and enjoyment and may need support with decoding skills, vocabulary and/or comprehension. A Better Reading Support Partner is a trained teaching assistant or volunteer who gives regular individual support to children who have fallen behind in reading. The children read a range of texts in each session, and the Partner provides a relaxed environment that is designed to give them the time and space both to practise and apply their skills, and to talk about their reading with an interested adult. The sessions are designed to boost children’s ability to apply phonics skills and to develop their vocabulary and comprehension skills. The Partner assesses children’s progress regularly and discusses it with their class teacher, and is supported by a BRSP Co-ordinator who manages the partnership in school, and acts as the main link with the school’s senior leadership team and class teachers, and the parents of the children involved.
Effectiveness
Remarkable for reading accuracy in Y1-3, Y5-7