Sharing Good Practice
and by the time they ’ re in secondary school an entirely different approach of disciplinary literacy and tiered vocabulary instruction is followed as a pragmatic approach . So , this is another area where EdTech offers great benefits in supporting classroom learning .
Specifically in this area we ’ ve found Accelerated Reader helped engage our pupils with their reading progression . Pupils read a book and take an online quiz afterwards , which gives them immediate feedback . The fact that it is a self-run programme has been essential for our EAL pupils . Many have come straight from their country of origin , into our schools , and straight into the Accelerated Reader programme . The data we have collated for Accelerated Reader has then been shared across departments for teachers of all subject disciplines to refine and develop their EAL teaching practices . As such , the programme is beneficial for a through school setting across all subject areas .
EdTech provides a shared language
We have found that our use of EdTech has helped give EAL students a shared language with other pupils and their teachers . The systems we use such as Accelerated Reader and Star Reading give student instant feedback and illustrate the progress they make throughout their reading journey . Over the last academic year , there has been a 63.64 % increase in students ’ Zone of Proximal Development ( ZPD ) levels , which indicates the level of complexity that they can accomplish independently . As students read more , the difficulty of texts that they are reading is increasing .
Any student in Year 10 will be able to tell you where they are in terms of progress , and using the technology gives them the motivation to work towards matching their reading age with their actual age . The books available in the library are labelled so pupils can match their ability levels with appropriate books . Students are also recommended slightly more challenging books they should be able to read without frustration , to help propel their reading development . This enables the more vulnerable and less confident students to take control of their reading journey and share their progress .
It ’ s not just our schools ’ experience that EdTech can support better reading habits , either . The recent What Kids Are Reading Report from Renaissance Learning , looked at the reading habits of over 1 million pupils during the pandemic and beyond . It found that during the past year many children across the nation decided to pick up a book for reading enjoyment , and that often these books were more challenging and longer reads . Additionally , we have been able to use the reading age reports to set up our online Book Club initiative which is directly levelled at the appropriate ZPD for a vast number of students . This premium on reading for pleasure has also been shared with parents who have valued the specific targeted details provided in the Progress Reports . We now have a role to play in building on this reading culture even further for EAL pupils and all students - EdTech such as Accelerated Reader has a key role in supporting this process , alongside teachers .
As teachers , we would advise all schools to make the most of the EdTech available to them , specifically to help support EAL students , or other vulnerable pupils to remain engaged in their learning as we navigate the pathway back to normality .
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