Supporting upper primary school students struggling to progress in learning to read has long presented a conundrum for educators.
Children with gaps in their phonic knowledge need plenty of opportunities to practise reading yet most early readers are written with much younger students in mind and, not surprisingly, can fail to hold interest.
Leading literacy provider MultiLit has published a new series of books aimed at Years 4 to 6 students that seeks to address this challenge.
“Accessible doesn’t have to mean boring,” said Alison McMurtrie, a literacy expert at MultiLit.
“Low-progress readers have typically faced frustration and disappointment in learning to read, which can rattle their self-esteem and cause them to be reluctant to pick up a book.
“These books do not follow a phonic sequence but rather provide generalised reading practice for students to apply their skills to connected text.
“Regular – preferably daily – reading is vital for these students to develop their skills and confidence so it’s important that the content is interesting and relevant and something they want to read.”
MultiLit’s new Firecracker Books series consists of 25 chapter books accessible to children with lower reading skills, including 15 fiction and 10 non-fiction titles. Topics include Ancient Egypt, volcanos, incredible inventions, and extreme sports.
Each book has been written with an understanding that students need to experience reading success. However, when read alongside a supportive teacher, the text also provides scope for students to be challenged.
Ms McMurtrie said encouraging children to read non-fiction was critical as it also helped to build background knowledge, which supported reading comprehension.
“The latest NAPLAN data tells us that close to 90,000 students started their secondary studies with below-proficient literacy levels, which is a huge barrier to being able to access all areas of the school curriculum,” she said.
“By reading non-fiction, not only will a student’s reading skills improve but their knowledge of the world will grow, and this will help them as the academic demands of school increase.”
Firecracker books can also be incorporated with the MacqLit intervention program.
For further information and orders go to Firecracker Books – MultiLit
