The science of reading

Dr Karen Boese and Dr Jeremy Law have been working to improve the literacy training of future teachers at the University of Glasgow Dumfries campus

They created a new teacher training programme called ‘Book Buddies’ to provide teacher education students with practical opportunities to learn about reading assessments and interventions, as well as directly support struggling readers, such as those with dyslexia, in the Dumfries and Galloway region.

Early identification and intervention for students with reading difficulties can have positive outcomes. To address the Attainment Gap in Scotland, initial teacher education programmes need to prepare teachers to implement explicit, systematic, evidence-based reading interventions. Unfortunately, many teachers and pre-service teachers have not been provided with the training and knowledge required to deliver such interventions. As a result, many teachers’ ability to support children with dyslexia and other struggling readers is limited.

The science of reading

The Book Buddies Reading Intervention Programme was designed to address this need and positively impact struggling readers in the region. During the 2022-23 school year, second-year teacher education students on the Dumfries campus participated in the Book Buddies programme, expanding their knowledge of the science of reading, assessments and interventions. In the winter term, the teacher education students were matched with their reading buddy, a primary-aged child identified as having early reading difficulty.

The primary-aged children were tutored twice a week over the semester. The tutors conducted initial assessments and, with their newly gained knowledge of the Science of Reading, implemented explicit, evidence-based teaching strategies tailored to each child’s needs and strengths while tracking their progress and adapting as needed.

Changing young lives

The programme resulted in significant gains in the children’s reading and phonics skills. Teachers and parents noted improvements in children’s overall motivation and confidence related to reading. As one pre-service teacher shared, “Successful experiences help students understand they have the skills and knowledge they need to meet goals.” Most importantly, the Book Buddy programme provided future teachers with the necessary confidence, knowledge, and skills to implement effective evidence-based interventions in their classrooms, positively impacting struggling readers throughout their teaching careers. As one pre-service teacher noted, “The programme challenged us to think critically about our own teaching practices and to consider new strategies for helping students succeed.” Another commented on how they had gained a better understanding of the variety of difficulties children face when learning to read. Following the programme, the pre-service teachers completed academic posters to share their intervention results and professional learning journeys, which were presented at a poster conference (see photos). As one pre-service teacher reported, “The [Book Buddies Reading Intervention] experience has given us confidence in our teaching abilities, as well as the realisation of how much of a difference we can make.” It is quite possible that the Book Buddies experience helped this cohort of future teachers from the University of Glasgow’s Dumfries campus learn that evidence-based, targeted literacy instruction should be a priority because it has the potential to change young readers’ lives. That is certainly a worthwhile pursuit.