ABSTRACT
This unit aims to take a holistic view of reading. The Simple View of Reading identifies the importance of language comprehension processes. Children need to know that they can find meaning in what they are reading, and that they can access the information that they need. A more detailed view of what is involved in reading can be seen in Scarborough’s ‘Reading Rope’. Children need to know that reading can be a pleasurable experience. The Northern Ireland Curriculum states that children: should be given opportunities to read for different purposes, developing strategies for researching, understanding, managing and refining information from traditional and digital sources. To begin to understand the characteristics of different types of text, it is important that children hear them read aloud, frequently and by a skilled reader. If the National Curriculum spellings are taught well, it is possible to learn around five times the required number of spellings while developing strategies for reading and spelling new words.
