By Timi Alabi
Teachers adopt different approaches when it comes to preparing pupils for reading tests. Of course, this is because they want the best for their pupils and they want their them to succeed.
We know that stamina is a big challenge when pupils are doing reading tests. Take Year 6 SATs as example; pupils are expected to read three increasingly challenging texts and answer around 40 questions in just one hour. From my experience, pupils’ stamina often begins to wane around halfway through the test.
It is important to note that reading stamina is not built through test practice. It is developed through lots of reading and exposure to a wide range of high-quality texts. The wider the choice of texts, the more likely pupils are to read. The more they read, the more fluent they become. The more fluent they become, the more the cognitive space they have for comprehension. The more they comprehend what they read, the more they enjoy it and the more they enjoy reading, the more they want to read. This cycle is why developing the love of reading must be prioritised over reading test practice and question-answering strategies. Test practice has its place, but it cannot replace sustained reading. There is no short-cut to preparing children for reading tests.
When children read a lot, it builds their cultural capital and background knowledge which enables them to access and comprehend a variety of texts.
Now that we have clearly established that lots of reading and exposure to a range of texts is key to preparing children for reading tests, let’s look at approaches for answering test questions.
First let’s answer the big question: Questions First or Text First?
Some pupils are advised to read questions first to ‘save time’ and to help them ‘know what to look for’ when completing a reading the text. Put simply, this approach does not save time and is often counterproductive. There are a few reasons for this:
- There are usually quite a few inference questions in a reading test, which can only be answered if the text is read and understood. Without first engaging with the text as a whole, pupils lack the context needed to interpret meaning accurately. The time spent reading the questions could have been well spent making a start on reading the actual text.
- Some texts, especially poems, are figurative in nature. Take the poem ‘The Tyger’ as an example. This poem is highly figurative. A poem like this cannot be navigated by hunting for answers. It requires immersion, interpretation and reflection. No part of the poem is literal, so reading the questions first, offers very little or no advantage.
- A single text may have up to ten questions. Expecting pupils to hold multiple questions in mind while reading, places unnecessary strain on the working memory, ultimately reducing efficiency.
Some strategies, however, can be helpful, particularly teaching pupils how to approach and structure their answers. At times, pupils understand both the question and the content, but do not gain full marks because examiners are looking for responses presented in a specific way.
For example,
- Understand mark allocation: 3-mark questions need to be answer in a certain way and structure in order to earn the full 3 marks. They require a developed structured response. Pupils can be taught how to do this by practising similar style of questions.
- Following instructions precisely: Also directing children’s attention to questions that ask to ‘find and copy a word’. If the question asks pupils to “find and copy one word”, only one word should be written.
- Use evidence from the text: If the question says, ‘according to the text’, they must use evidence from the text, not their own prior knowledge of the topic.
- Vocabulary Strategies: Encourage pupils to read around unfamiliar words to infer meaning from context. They can read the sentence before and after the word. They can also use their knowledge of morphology to work out meaning. For example, if they know ‘sub’ means under and ‘marine’ relates to water or sea, then that will give them a clue to what ‘submarine’ means.
If we want pupils to succeed in reading tests, we must resist the temptation to prioritise quick fixes. Techniques like ‘reading questions first’ may appear helpful, but they do not address the root of the challenge.
Our focus, therefore, should be on:
- Building reading stamina through regular, high-quality reading
- Developing reading fluency to aid comprehension and vocabulary knowledge
- Teaching clear, explicit strategies for answering questions accurately
When these foundations are secure, test performance improves naturally.
