RPI Day 8 - CREATE

Today was a great day filled with CREATE opportunities and rich pedagogy.

We explored a range of AI tools to support creativity in today’s world and had some great discussions about how we can help our students be more creative using both digital and hands-on approaches. Next on my reading list: Mayer’s 12 Principles of Multimedia Learning: https://www.digitallearninginstitute.com/blog/mayers-principles-multimedia-learning

We also talked about how creativity isn’t just about tools. It includes important ‘soft’ skills like empathy, curiosity, resilience and problem-solving. These skills are just as important as being able to use digital apps, platforms or design something new.

Throughout the day, we looked at what helps creativity grow in the classroom and what sometimes gets in the way. A key reminder was that when we make space for creating, we are not just delivering content. We are helping our students become confident, curious learners who always think about and reflect on their learning. We talked about the importance of having regular short ‘create’ activities alongside longer, planned projects. These short creative tasks should be part of our everyday reading lessons. They help students stay engaged and support deeper understanding.

Teachers can decide how much freedom to give in these tasks:

• Tighter tasks can use templates, stencils, or graphic organisers to give structure
• Looser tasks are more open-ended and student-led. Adding a short reflection or prompt can help students make connections and explain their thinking.

Then we looked at how longer Create projects give students time to explore ideas in more depth, especially when they are based on rich, meaningful texts. These projects often connect across different learning areas and give teachers the chance to focus on teaching important skills like analysis, interpretation and design, so students are not just taking in information, but thinking about it, working with it, and making it their own.

We got to try this ourselves by making a one-shot film:) I really enjoyed the challenge. My biggest barrier was time. I had lots of ideas, but it took a while to film and process the video. When I finally watched it, I thought I was really expressive in promoting the book:)

I used to do various short and long CREATE in Reading activities with students, and today reminded me how effective they always are! They spark creativity, boost engagement, and help bring reading to life in a fun and meaningful way.

Reflecting on today, I’m reminded that creativity doesn’t just happen on its own. It needs planning, space, support and purpose! Whether it’s a short create task or a longer project, what matters is that students are making something to apply their learning and show their understanding. The key is consistency! When we regularly offer these create opportunities, students grow their skills and confidence over time.

 

RPI Day 7 - Thinking

Dorothy reminded us about the importance of critical thinking in today’s world!! Now we can’t even trust the spoken word with so much video content being AI generated. We need to explicitly teach students to be critical about the content they receive from all media and to do their own fact checking. This is a new reality that really matters now. Some AI tools like Gemini and NotebookLM focus on privacy and offer great opportunities for our teachers and learners to get familiar and confident with using AI tools and to make smart choices when selecting safe (or relatively safe) options.

When we’re reading at a literal level (= reading on the lines), we’re looking for information that’s stated directly in the text. It’s usually easy to find, sometimes in one place and sometimes spread across the text.

Interpretive reading (= reading between the lines) is a bit deeper. Here readers have to think, reason and use clues from the text to figure out what the author is suggesting rather than saying outright. Because this involves some interpretation, it's important we try to understand what the author was really trying to say and back up our ideas with what’s actually in the text.

Then there’s evaluative reading (= reading beyond the lines). This is where we start forming our own opinions, asking big questions and thinking about what the text means in a bigger picture. We might connect it to real-world issues or reflect on how it relates to our own lives and what we believe.

Teaching thinking for deeper reading

If we want students to really get into a text, we need to go beyond just what’s written on the page. It’s about exploring what’s underneath and between the lines.

• Teachers should MODEL - not just read aloud but think aloud. Wonder about word choices, ask questions and make students hear how a reader thinks.
• We need to focus on creative responses by teaching students to write from a different perspective, create a new ending or design something visual to show what they’ve understood.
• We are always aiming for extended discussions as we want our students to share their opinions, challenge ideas and connect the text to real life. 

Teachers design tasks for students, and I’ve found that sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between interpreting and evaluative questions… but what really matters is designing questions that get students thinking deeply, not just ticking a box for each type. And of course, we need to know our learners to plan effective lessons and activities!

Loved the video on Bloom’s Taxometry: https://youtu.be/ayefSTAnCR8?si=vKioBKXO1z3RgVwU

Students need to work with the text to analyse it, and RPI provided a great collection of digital activities to support that.

My text I chose to work on today - The Way to Play
Theme - diversity, inclusion and acceptance
Big idea is compromise and valuing different points of view

How we analyse language - we’re looking for figurative language. The text I chose didn’t have much, so I decided to begin some deliberate teaching using my own example of a related metaphor. Here is my planning for this teaching piece:

Figurative language is a great way to help students tune into feelings, emotions and opinions in a text. Once they learn to spot things like metaphors, exaggeration, etc, they start to realise that writers often show emotions without saying them outright. This helps kids learn to read between the lines, connect with the characters and understand the message on a deeper level.

I love provocations and use them a lot in my teaching, and not just in reading but in maths too:) Provocations make people think and more importantly -  think critically:)! I really enjoyed the role group discussion activity around this provocation. There is no such thing as a neutral text, as it’s always written from the author’s perspective or position in life. The provocations for my text: It’s better to fit in than to stand out. OR You can’t be kind and honest at the same time. Today’s learning really reminded me how important it is to engage deeply with a text, offering students different layers and opportunities to think critically about vocabulary and figurative language, discuss provocations, and definitely include critical literacy texts in the programme across all year levels. If I had my own class, I’d be focusing on planning more collaborative follow-up work where students respond creatively to the text. The goal would be to give them space to explore multiple perspectives (both with the teacher and independently), challenge each other’s thinking and build those higher order thinking habits in a meaningful way. Another great day at RPI filled with so many practical ideas and resources, thanks team!

RPI Day 6 - Vocabulary

Today we focused on Vocabulary and I really enjoyed the content of this day.

It was great to revisit the importance of teaching Vocab to our students and also reflect on my own knowledge of terminology. Lexical bar was something that I didn’t know and …

Thinking of a word in context. Grand piano would make you think of music but once you talk about house moving it will bring totally different feelings and associations.

Today was a great reminder of how important it is to be intentional about teaching vocabulary. Some of the key ideas that stood out were:
- helping students become more aware of words,
- teaching important vocabulary in an interactive and deliberate way,
- giving them tools to figure out unfamiliar words, and
- also weaving in morphology, especially in subject-specific contexts.
These approaches have a strong research base and really support deeper, more lasting learning.

Group Roles – Initiator and Builder

I learned that it’s important to introduce group roles in a familiar context first, otherwise, it’s very hard for kids to take part meaningfully. I enjoyed being challenged and put in the learner’s shoes - miserable but a great experience i must admit!! It really made me think about how overwhelming it can feel for a child when they’re asked to manage both new roles and new learning at the same time.

We tried a great activity to build word consciousness aiming at getting students to think more deeply about words, notice parts and connections, and develop logical strategies for tackling unfamiliar words.

 

Teachers need to target Tier II words to support vocabulary development - words that learners are less likely to pick up independently but are still essential for improving reading comprehension. When planning, target words can be identified from any Teacher support material or chosen based on your needs (essential for your current topic learning).

In this activity, students get to think about/ experiment with word endings and see how they change the meaning. It’s an easy but super effective way to help them figure out how words work and build confidence with reading and spelling.

I really enjoyed the morphology session, where we explored how teaching word parts (like prefixes, roots and suffixes) and helping students break down tricky words can significantly boost their reading, spelling and overall literacy skills. I was especially interested in how morphology (understanding how words are built) can be introduced early using simple strategies and fun tools like Matrix Makers, and how it’s now explicitly part of the NZC. This really resonated with me because it’s exactly how I used to teach, and how I was taught myself. I still remember how frustrated I felt when my own child started school and I ended up doing this kind of work with him at home because it wasn’t happening in class…although, to be fair, it was also a special time for us to sit together and explore words! It reminded me again how important it is to be intentional with vocabulary and give learners the tools to make meaning through word structure.

Final thoughts: What really stood out to me is how these key concepts come together to make vocabulary teaching both effective and meaningful. Helping students become curious about words and notice language all around them (words are everywhere - just like maths, oh sorry, Naomi… couldn’t resist mentioning maths again, lol!) Being deliberate and hands-on means we’re not just hoping they pick up new words but actually guiding them to understand deeply. Giving them tools to tackle tricky words empowers them to be more independent and confident learners. And focusing on morphology definitely helps connect words to their meanings, boosting reading and writing across the board. Thanks for another productive learning day, team - fantastic PLD!

RPI 5 - Planning a Reading Programme

I was great to look at the new curriculum - the main strands (reading, oral language and writing) and their interconnections along with other learning areas integration

It was great to look at different timetables, as it’s not easy to fit everything into our busy weekly schedules - not just for the sake of ticking boxes, but to actually make time to enjoy these important learning experiences. But there are NON-negotiables that we have to include to provide rich learning experiences for our kids.

Track the Learning!! The RPI team shared some great practical spreadsheet examples for tracking and monitoring student work across all subject areas:

Once again, the role of class sites was highlighted as an effective tool to support teaching and learning. A well set-up class site gives learners a clear place to access learning and check what they need to do next, without interrupting you or others. It encourages independence and helps keep the flow of learning going. With everything in one place (keep in mind the 3 clicks rule to access tasks, links, videos, etc) it increases learning time and reduces ‘waiting’ time.

Independent Reading Activities - digital apps

Good independent reading activities (vs reading for enjoyment) should build on your targeted teaching and involve a meaningful student response to text (eg, comparing characters, contrasting ideas, finding evidence in the text and lots more!). The key for teachers is to focus on accessible right-level texts, student interest, and encouraging quality thinking activities. Look for chances to integrate learning across areas so it actually fits into your wider reading programme. Keep it purposeful, work smarter, not harder.

Not all independent activities have to be digital. We have to use physical books and reading activities that help build deep thinking and engagement. It’s about balance and making sure learners get rich, varied experiences with texts in different formats. Still important to track their Independent learning!

‘Linking Reading and Writing’ session was a lot of fun (I actually had tears writing my piece) - wonderful experience, thanks Naomi:)

High expectations - Writing like a reader… we gave it a go! I noticed that without practice, it took me a while to find the right tone and words to express my feelings… I felt like someone returning to the gym after a long break:) Here is my writing in response to the following model text:

The beach was empty that chilly, grey morning, deadly quiet except for the steady pulse of the ocean - its heavy waves rolling in and the occasional sharp cry of always-hungry gulls overhead. A strong gust of wind brushed my face, spraying misty droplets that felt like cold tears on my cheeks. In the distance, a white driftwood log looked like the giant bone of some long-lost creature, worn smooth by years of tides and carried ashore from a far-away, mysterious land. My husband and I walked slowly along the shoreline, lonely without our precious dog… he would’ve been racing ahead, nose to the sand or enthusiastically carrying the biggest stick on the beach. We kept an eye on the sea, mindful of how far we could go this time, how long before the tide turned and we’d have to head back, not wanting to get caught out again like last time! Last time Bobby was with us, we had to climb a steep cliff together... silly, how could we have overlooked the tide coming up?!

“He’s still with us, always in our hearts,” my husband said quietly, interrupting my memories.

Structured Literacy

RECAP: EMPOWER Learners

Today’s Taskboard

Planning should include the following  activities and experiences:

• instructional time with quality independent activities, wider curriculum links and different communication modes

• activities to support building learners’ higher order thinking, independence, responsibility and LCS

• empower students by tracking, monitoring and other opportunities to raise assessment capable learners

• teach and practice reading comprehension strategies in different contexts
  opportunities for learners to read multiple texts including text sets.

Final thoughts: Day 5 was about designing an effective reading programme that meets the demands of the new curriculum while still fitting into the busy reality of classroom life. We explored how reading, writing, and oral language are deeply connected, and how carefully designed timetabling (including the non-negotiables!) and thoughtful teacher planning can create engaging opportunities for meaningful, ongoing learning. I really enjoyed learning about new independent reading activity apps and plan to explore ReadWorks and Literacy Planet further. The session on linking reading and writing reminded me of how powerful a good model text can be in our teaching. Thanks for another day full of practical teacher tools, curriculum sense-making, and fantastic resources!

RPI Day 4 - Small Group Reading Instruction

Today we had a great day diving deeper into Guided Reading and Comprehension:

• Need-based grouping for explicit processing and strategic reading support

• Discussions to extend and deepen understanding

• Clear, explicit teaching points to target instruction

• Independent response-to-text tasks to consolidate learning

Today’s content was a good reminder that small group reading is just one piece of the puzzle, but it is a VERY IMPORTANT piece. We also need to plan for reading to our learners, shared reading, and independent reading. Small groups are a great instructional opportunitiy for focused teaching (definitely not 'round robin' reading!), but not everything has to happen there.

I couldn’t agree more about not overloading a guided session. It made me reflect on how, early in my teaching career, I tried to 'accelerate' learning by planning and giving too much — most likely just confusing my learners :) It's more efficient and practical to focus on one or two key teaching points (but do them really well and in depth) and save the rest for another time, like shared reading. It’s also important to keep the joy of reading alive while helping learners grow.

The framework for a guided (small group) instructional session is a quick 20-minute session where we introduce the text, might listen to learners read, have a conversation about the text to begin with, but really focus on a couple of key teaching points max. Afterwards, students work independently on teacher-planned follow-up tasks, including vocab work, comprehension, any other form of “response to texts’ and learners reflection.

Digital Modelling book - great way to plan, deliver and monitor group reading (one of possible formats)

Guided reading cycle:

Introducing Text and Purposes:
Background knowledge - focus on relevant, and necessary information for comprehending the text.
Plan how will you develop this knowledge - vocabulary, video, some reading before the guided group session, explaining, integrated with other subjects 

I found the following activity very useful because analysing student-teacher interactions made me reflect on what I can do during small group sessions.

Recast (research term) is similar to revoicing in Talk Moves, where the teacher elevates vocabulary, reinforcing and feeding new words and ideas.

Observing students while they read is crucial for informing your teaching and guiding their next steps. I really like the idea of using fluency rubrics and was excited to listen to and analyse the students' reading.

Discussion

Discussion is now explicit in Te Mataiaho - Oral language Strand (Communicating ideas and information)

It’s useful to keep the PAT question types in mind — we need to include them in our programme so students can feel confident, but also challenge them to think more deeply about the text and the topic.

Literal (Retrieval) *concrete evidence (one sentence)

Vocabulary *Synonyms, antonyms & visualisation

Reorganisation (Complex Inference) *combine evidence (more than one place or order)

Inference (Local Inference) *deducing & interpret  implied meanings

Evaluation (Interpret & Integrate) *making judgements

Opinion (Critique & Evaluate) *perspective/conclusion based on the above

Letting students drive conversations, teacher is monitoring and there to prompt if really needed but let them talk - remember that some conversations won’t happen naturally, so it's important to scaffold, set ground rules for talk, and provide clear purposes and content. It all ties back to the teacher’s planning and delivery.

Teaching points need to be clear, based on the curriculum, and informed by what you know about your learners. Focus on making strong purposeful teaching points and designing a meaningful response to the text.

Final thoughts:
Today’s session really helped me step back and think more carefully about how I’ve been shaping my small group reading sessions. It reminded me how important it is to keep guided reading focused, to create space for real, student-driven conversations about texts, and to keep the joy of reading alive for every learner. I’m excited to take away some practical, deliberate steps that could make a real difference for my students over time.

The framework we explored today offered clear, practical ways to refine teacher practice - from planning and delivery through to student reflection and the non-negotiables for effective small group teaching and response to text. It reinforced the importance of planning and delivery with greater purpose, clarity and consistency. I'm confident teachers will appreciate the practical approach and shared resources that help design rich reading experiences truly focused on student growth. I honestly wish I'd had this PLD back when I had my own class!