Year 3-4

What are the children learning?

By Year 3-4 students begin to shift from learning to read, to reading to learn.   Text at this level provide students with a wide range of text types and topics and supporting a range of reading purposes, that are increasingly cross-curricular.

Students understand that text have purposes and are written for audiences. They use a range of processing and comprehension strategies to make meaning and think critically about longer and more complex text. They monitor their reading and draw on a wide range of problem-solving strategies when meaning breaks down. They are using text more often to meet demands across the curriculum.  They usually read silently.

What does it look like in the classroom?

Students will read regularly with a teacher.  Their reading teacher will likely remain the same over the Term and know their needs and abilities well.  Small guided reading groups of 6-8 students allows the teacher to focus explicitly on the reading goals of the students at their own level and pace.    Teachers read a class novel to students, as well as for the enjoyment of listening to different authors and stories, this models expression, fluency and phrasing and encourages students to do the same, when reading aloud.  

While the teacher works with each group, other students will be engaged in independent reading activities or follow up tasks.  

Students will often take home reading material previously read at school, however by around ‘Silver’ level they are welcome and encouraged to spend their home reading time, reading novels or other reading material of their personal choice.