Becoming a Teacher of Reading

Margaret Perkins worked in initial teacher education for many years with undergraduates, postgraduates and those on employment-based routes in different provider institutions. Before that she taught in primary schools across the age ranges and throughout the United Kingdom as a classteacher and in positions of leadership. For the last ten years, she has been responsible for the primary GTP and School Direct routes into primary teaching, at the University of Reading, working closely with schools located in more than eight different authorities. It is this experience which prompted the writing of this book. In September 2016 she is going back into school as a class teacher in Year 1 and to work with colleagues across the school to make the English curriculum exciting, relevant and rigorous. Her teaching career is finishing where it began. She will be recording her experiences online at www.backtoschoolmargaret.com Please read the blog and share your thoughts and experiences.

• Knowing about the reading processBeing a readerWhat do we read?How do children develop as readers?Providing a reading environmentTeaching systematic synthetic phonics: subject knowledge and progressionTeaching decoding: the pedagogy of phonicsTeaching comprehensionTeaching strategies for reading lessonsKnowing and recording children’s development as readersSupporting individualsBecoming an outstanding teacher of reading

The author’s practical wisdom flows through this book. Student teachers’ common questions, "what is reading?" and "what can I do in the classroom?" are addressed with clarity.  It is timely, when teaching reading is often perceived by policy makers as a technical skill, and at its core are passion, knowledge and experience.