What is the Key Stage 3 (KS3) Reading Fluency Project?
The Key Stage 3 (KS3) Reading Fluency Project is an online CPD package for English leads and teachers. Participation in the project supports struggling readers in key stage 3 to make swift and dramatic gains in their reading attainment. Through the combined use of evidence-informed reading strategies and high-quality texts, the Key Stage 3 (KS3) Reading Fluency Project not only increases the number of students working at age-related expectations in reading, but fosters enthusiastic, confident readers who show increased pleasure and skill when reading challenging texts across the curriculum.
Project aims
The Key Stage 3 (KS3) Reading Fluency Project is designed to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills they need to make a difference to outcomes for their most vulnerable learners, those who are reading below age-related expectations for their year group. Training is logically sequenced and carefully spaced to allow time to put learning into practice throughout the 8-week intervention period. Equipped with project strategies, teachers deliver two, twenty-five minute sessions weekly to a selected group of struggling readers. In just 8 weeks, these students make incredible progress in their fluency, leading to great gains in their accuracy and comprehension. Furthermore, students develop confidence and begin to view themselves as authentic readers.
Students who have participated in KS3 project have made an average of 18 months (1 year 6 months) progress in reading comprehension age over an 8 week period.
The face-to-face sessions with students are twice weekly, for 8 weeks. The project begins at the start of the academic term and continues for its duration (approx. 12 weeks). This duration allows for the preparation, training and assessment as well as a review and consideration of next steps.
Book your place on the next cohort of the KS3 Reading Fluency Project by emailing reading.fluency@hfleducation.org
Learn more about reading fluency
Reading fluency? How do I teach that?
Reading fluency: training for teachers
A field guide to reading fluency: a reader's digest of our work to date
HFL KS3 Reading Fluency Project: a practitioner’s perspective
HFL KS3 Reading Fluency Project: a practice-based review
Key Stage 4 (KS4) Reading Fluency Project
Raising reading standards is a challenge faced by all schools and an increase in reading ages for students benefits all teachers, however, this is too often presumed to be a responsibility for English departments alone. You provided clarity and definite steps that all teachers can take to improve reading in their own areas of expertise. Teachers left the twilight session with a real buzz and a clear list of steps that they can take to make students better readers. Thank you so much. I look forward to reporting on our progress to you at some point in the near future.
Iain Skinner, Assistant Headteacher, Lister Community School
‘I have …. witnessed 15 students from Year 7 improve their reading comprehension by an average of 2 years in the space of 8 weeks. It’s hard to believe without witnessing it, isn’t it?’
Kelly Burke, second in department for English, Thomas Alleyne Academy, Stevenage
