International Reading Conference - Session Recordings

Motivated Readers: Practical ideas for classroom and whole-school practice

Christine Chen and Lindsay Pickton have co-directed Primary Education Advisors since 2015.

In their session, they  explore:

• The relationship between reading ability and reading for pleasure and purpose.
• Practical classroom strategies for developing engagement in purposeful reading.
• Broadening the reading diet.
• Maximising the social aspects of reading.

Poetry in the classroom: reading, writing, and analysing poems

One of Britain’s best-loved writers and performance poets for children and adults explores:

• How to make poetry pleasurable, fun, exciting, generating enthusiastic reading, performing and writing of poetry.

A research-based programme to support reading strategies

Director of Siddiqui Education & Managing Director of Reading Solutions UK

Learn more about the conference organisers, the supporting research, and the features guiding DreamBox Reading Plus with an overview of how the programme works.

Tech Tales: Enhancing Reading for Pleasure in the Digital Age

Head of Digital Learning, Education, and Innovation at Portsmouth Education Partnership.

This session explores:

• A treasure trove of digital resources and interactive platforms designed to enchant young readers and make literacy come alive.

The Oasis DRIVE for literacy strategy: how we secure accelerated reading progress for disadvantaged secondary learners across a national MANational Lead for Student Inclusion at Oasis Community Learning.

This session explores:

• What works to secure literacy progress in secondary academies?
• How can we make disciplinary literacy everyone’s priority?
• How can we secure accelerated progress for our struggling readers through the use of the graduated response?

Tech Tales: Unleashing the Magic of Reading for Key Stage 3 students

Head of Digital Learning, Education, and Innovation at Portsmouth Education Partnership.

This session explores:

• The endless possibilities technology offers to enhance the reading experience for students include interactive e-books, digital libraries, immersive storytelling platforms, and virtual author visits.

Demystifying disciplinary literacy

Literacy Content Specialist for the Education Endowment Foundation.

This presentation covers:

• An introduction to disciplinary literacy.
• Practical exemplification of what disciplinary literacy might look like across the curriculum.
• Suggestions for how teachers and leaders can implement a disciplinary literacy approach to school improvement.

Choice, control, and reading for pleasure

Director of Siddiqui Education & Managing Director of Reading Solutions UK.

This session explores:

• The key to reading motivation through choice and control, and how DreamBox Reading Plus benefits students of all reading levels.

RfP Architecture: Brick by Brick – How do we ‘construct’ and sustain reading cultures in school?

Lecturer in Reading for Pleasure at The Open University 

The presentation for her session  explores strategies for crafting learner-led reading cultures, touching upon:

• What elements can we ‘build’ upon to forge reader volition and agency in upper primary and KS3?
• How do we ensure authenticity as we ‘assemble’ our approach to RfP?
• The presentation is coming soon.

Developing your primary reading strategy

Primary School Improvement Lead across NEAT and Director of Newcastle Research School.

This session explores:

• Using school-based evidence to evaluate success and next steps.
• Using a tiered approach to further develop your school reading strategy.
• Using an evidence-informed approach to professional development.
• Evaluating the impact of a reading strategy to support ongoing developments.

Reflections from a decade of digital reading research

Senior Research Manager at the National Literacy Trust

This presentation explores:

• Research insights and reflections from her own and others’ research exploring reading digitally across all age groups, touching on everything from literacy apps to ebooks, fake news, video game playing and critical digital literacy.
• A brief look ahead to how all this will inform forthcoming work on the impact of generative AI.

Available only to attendees; please do not share.

Teaching Reading Fluency: The often neglected and misunderstood key to reading success.

Top 2% of Scientists in the world, Author, and Professor of Reading Education, Kent State University, USA

This session explores:

• Be presented with a complete definition of reading fluency.
• Learn about the essential science-based tools for teaching fluency.
• Learn how fluency can be taught in artful as well as scientific ways.
• Be presented with evidence of the effectiveness of reading fluency instruction for improving overall reading achievement

Word Study that Works:  Science-Based and Engaging Approaches to Phonics and Vocabulary Instruction

Top 2% of Scientists in the world, Author, and Professor of Reading Education, Kent State University, USA

This session explores:

• Effective and engaging methods for helping students master words and delight in the study of words.

Supporting Reading Confidence and Fluency Using Digital Resources.

Andrew is the Director of Professional Development, and Ian is the School Success Advisor at Discovery Education UK.

This session will explore:

• Ways in which digital skills, tools and pedagogies can impact on reading.
• Digital tools can be used effectively to enhance engagement.
• Adaptive learning tools can provide individualised support.
• Immersive technology can inspire reading.

Implementing strategies to support reading and literacy across the curriculum.

Assistant Head for Staff Development  and Head of English at Safa British School, Dubai

This session will explore:

• Building a strong reading culture in a school.
• Supporting lower ability, EAL and G&T readers.
• Moving beyond reading and developing oracy skills.

Love your Library to Boost a Love of Reading

High-Level Teaching Assistant and School Librarian.

This presentation explores:

• The importance of school libraries.
• Easy ways to inspire young readers in school.
• Easy ways to support families in encouraging reading at home.

Maximising cross-curricular reading

Ian is the Managing Director and Nick Mills is A Reading Development Consultant of Reading Solutions UK.

This session explores:

• How developing reading improves cross-curricular attainment and enhances secondary students’ learning, examining DreamBox Reading Plus as a tool for closing the gap through tailored instruction.

Building an Effective Primary Reading Curriculum

Director of Teaching and Learning at Aim High Academy Trust.

This session explores:

• Strategies for progression in reading from EYFS to Y6.
• The impact of whole-class reading lessons, using quality texts and extracts, and the importance of developing oracy skills.
• Developing a classroom culture of reading for pleasure.
• Closing the gap: how to support children working below age-related expectations.

EdTech Tales: Building Fluency in the Digital Age

Deputy Head at Amity International School Abu Dhabi.

This session explores:

• The 5 C’s of digital cognition,
• How educational technology can be harnessed to support teaching and learning, reduce workload
• How AI can improve learning outcomes.

Ending digital poverty here in the UK

CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, which aims to end digital poverty in the UK once and for all by 2030.

This session explores:

• What is digital poverty?
• What is being done to reduce rates of digital poverty in the UK?
• How can you help?

Science Specific Reading – the Joys, Power and Challenges of Reading Science Specific Texts

Director of Curriculum and Pedagogy at Paradigm Trust.

This session explores:

• How educators can be better equipped to champion the importance of reading scientific texts, and some suggested strategies to support readers in developing the skills.