At Glasshouse Christian College, we’re excited to introduce Talk for Reading in our Year 5 and 6 classrooms. This new approach is helping students develop strong reading and comprehension skills while also growing a genuine love for reading.

What is Talk for Reading?

Talk for Reading focuses on helping students understand what they read. Through carefully selected, high-quality texts, students are learning to think critically, ask questions, and explore different perspectives within the story. This helps them become thoughtful, independent readers who can apply what they read to real-life situations.

How does Talk for Reading work?

The program is broken down into three main phases:

Introduction Phase – Getting to Know the Text

In this phase, students read the text several times with guidance from their teacher. They look at new vocabulary, share their first impressions, and build a basic understanding. This sets them up for deeper comprehension in the next phases.

Investigation Phase – Digging Deeper

Here, students begin exploring the meaning behind the story. They may act out scenes or write as if they were a character in the story, helping them connect personally to what they’re reading. By the end of this phase, students understand the main ideas, themes, and viewpoints and can read the text confidently.

Independent Understanding Phase – Showing Their Learning

In the final phase, students work independently to show what they’ve learned. They might write about the story in a new way, answer questions in depth, or create a piece of writing that uses the same style as the original text. This phase allows students to demonstrate their understanding in a way that feels natural and engaging.

Why Talk for Reading?

Talk for Reading isn’t about memorising reading skills for a test. Instead, it’s designed to make reading an interactive and enjoyable experience. Through this process, students actively engage with the text, make meaningful connections, and learn to understand complex ideas. They become confident, thoughtful readers who can apply these skills beyond the classroom.

Our Year 5 and 6 students are already showing enthusiasm and progress with Talk for Reading. We’re excited to see them continue to grow as readers who are ready to explore, question, and think critically about the world around them.

Sarah Jennings, Primary Curriculum Coordinator