Talk for Reading

The importance of talk for developing children’s understanding and engagement with texts is widely acknowledged. However, knowing how to talk about reading is demanding, and can provide significant challenges for primary teachers. This minibook considers the interplay between three different aspects of talk that can positively influence children’s interactions with texts: teacher talk to model and teach reading strategies; classroom talk that promotes a positive climate and a reading for pleasure pedagogy based on social dynamic; and talk that can change, extend and enrich the way children think when they read both together and independently. The practical examples reflect positive practice observed in schools where talk is making a very real difference to children as readers.