Identifying my Priority Readers

My inquiry will target Year 6 learners, aged between 9.5 and 12.5 years, whose reading levels are currently at or just below expected benchmarks. My primary goal is to implement strategies that will extend these students, ensuring they are at or above the expected reading levels for Year 6 and Year 7.

A consistent trend I've observed is that while these students demonstrate strong decoding skills, they significantly struggle with questions requiring higher-order thinking. This includes challenges with applied knowledge, understanding key vocabulary, and making inferences – all critical components of deep comprehension. Observations from our reading groups reveal that while some students are confident in sharing their initial thoughts, there's a noticeable lack of genuine discussion, and their responses often do not refer back to the text for evidence. Furthermore, analysis of my recorded lessons highlights a predominantly teacher-led discussion model, where I frequently prompt students to share ideas with each other. This suggests a need to foster more student-driven dialogue and text interaction, particularly when engaging with content that may lack immediate cultural relevance for them.

To clarify the precise nature of this comprehension gap through a culturally responsive lens, I will utilise a range of formative assessments. This includes analysing previous years' PAT Reading and e-asTTle data as well as running records, which I will then compare with our 2025 testing data. During literacy assessments, I will pay close attention to students' behaviours towards reading, particularly their engagement with and responses to texts that may or may not align with their cultural backgrounds. I will also conduct comprehensive reader profiles to understand students' attitudes towards reading, their preferred genres, and their existing cultural schema. Additionally, I plan to research language acquisition, seeking assessments that can track changes in their academic and culturally specific vocabulary throughout the year, recognising that language is deeply intertwined with cultural understanding.

Potential Tools and Measures for this Inquiry:

• Formative Assessment Data: Including comprehension checks, reading response journals, and specific question types (think and search, author's message, literal) to track growth.

• Performance in Current Testing Rounds: Analysing PAT Reading and e-asTTle Reading data for shifts in overall comprehension scores.

• Classroom Engagement Behaviours: Observing student participation in discussions, their willingness to connect texts to their own experiences, and their ability to reference text evidence, particularly with culturally diverse materials.

• Growth in Academic and Culturally Specific Language Acquisition: Tracking vocabulary development and the use of language that reflects deeper cultural understanding.

• Attendance Data: To identify any correlation between engagement and presence in the classroom.

• EdPotential Data: To track long-term progress and identify patterns in reading achievement over time.