Research School Network: Introducing the Reading and Vocabulary (RAV) Project

photo: ​‘iStockphoto: Chelnok’

Adequate reading skills and vocabulary knowledge are crucial for learning, especially at secondary school when pupils are expected to learn from independent reading. The RAV project builds on findings from two large-scale longitudinal studies, the Aston Literacy Project (ALP) and the Vocabulary and Reading in Secondary School Project (VaRiSS):

• In primary school, we can raise standards in basic reading skills through systematic phonics teaching

• Vocabulary and reading are very closely related, with vocabulary knowledge important for reading success and reading providing opportunities for vocabulary learning

• A substantial number of pupils start secondary school without the basic reading skills and vocabulary knowledge needed to access the curriculum

• In early secondary school, achievement gaps in vocabulary and reading narrow but are not closing

What will RAV achieve?

To date, research has focused on children in primary or secondary education, but little is known about how reading and vocabulary develop across the transitional period between primary and secondary. Once children can read, their reading experiences provide crucial opportunities for them to learn new words. The goal of the RAV project is to examine how reading is involved in word learning. The RAV project will track reading and vocabulary progress as pupils move from primary to secondary school (Year 6 to Year 8). This will tell us how reading can be harnessed to promote vocabulary: should we focus on improving basic reading skills, encouraging independent reading, or both?

This project is timely: the Oxford Language Report, published in April 2018, emphasised teachers concerns that vocabulary is a barrier to learning for many pupils in both primary and secondary school.

Working closely with teachers and policy makers

The RAV project was recently launched in Bedford Square, London, attended by teachers, policy makers and other key stakeholder groups. Two directors of research schools, Megan Dixon and Alex Quigley, led discussions from primary and secondary perspectives. Discussions highlighted the importance of research in providing clearer questions and addressing specific problems. For example, the ALP project shows that the efforts that teachers have made to improve phonics instruction is benefitting young readers. The discussion focused particularly on the best ways to promote vocabulary learning in primary and secondary classrooms. For example, it is important to teach vocabulary items explicitly but also provide pupils with the skills that they need to learn new words independently. The RAV project will provide useful insights about how to promote independent reading and how to ensure that children have the basic reading skills that they need to benefit from this.

Who is involved in the project?

Dr Laura Shapiro, Professor Adrian Burgess, Sanne van der Kleij (Aston University)

Dr Jessie Ricketts (Royal Holloway, University of London)

Research assistants (Aston University, Royal Holloway, University of London)

Primary and secondary schools from Birmingham and Greater London

Advisory panel of academics, teachers, policy makers and other key stakeholders

Find out more about our projects

www.aston.ac.uk/alp

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