ABSTRACT
This chapter examines some of the difficulties disadvantaged children, and boys in particular, may experience with reading and writing, and how these contribute to the intergenerational transmission of disadvantage. It explores research showing that it is possible to predict early on which children are at risk of literacy difficulties, and take action to develop their phonological awareness and spoken language. Effective class-based approaches for disadvantaged pupils are discussed and illustrated with case studies. They include those with an oracy focus, modifications to standard phonics teaching, explicit teaching of comprehension strategies and a focus on fluency. The chapter then describes how ‘boy-friendly’ approaches and making reading social rather than solitary can increase engagement and motivation. It then turns to writing, suggesting that it is important to separate composition from transcription, provide strategy-based spelling instruction, scaffold the use of academic language and use interventions to develop narrative skills. Finally, the evidence for different reading and writing intervention programmes is examined.
