Connectors

Overview

Connectors is a groundbreaking reciprocal reading series for peer-to-peer learning: an ideal way to make the most of your Pupil Premium for disadvantaged learners.

It will help you to:

Narrow the attainment gap, named as a key priority by the Department for Education
Multiply guided reading time by up to five times
Improve literacy, leadership skills and metacognition
Spark curiosity and debate
Improve motivation and behaviour
Include every learner
Obtain high-impact benefits for low costs

Children work in small independent groups of up to six, each taking turns to be the leader as they read and debate a book together. Clear prompts show the leader how to focus the discussion and work with their team to predict outcomes, clarify issues, ask questions and evaluate content. This collaborative approach develops teamwork as well as speaking, listening, comprehension and evaluation skills.

The Educational Endowment Foundation ranks peer tutoring as one of the most effective and economical ways to improve achievement, with disadvantaged and low achieving pupils making particular gains. In Connectors, this high-impact method is used to build teamwork, motivate disengaged learners, develop confidence and boost literacy and thinking skills.

Formal classroom trials of Connectors show children’s reading age leaping forward by an average of 9.1 months in just 12 weeks. Class guided reading time is also increased by up to five times. The series contains over 90 non-fiction and fiction titles spanning Years 2-6, covering topical issues that inspire curiosity and debate.

“A growing body of international evidence suggests that peer learning is one of the most reliable ways to improve attainment.” TES

“Consistent positive effects have been found in different countries, across all age groups and across the curriculum.” Evaluation of peer tutoring from the Teaching and Learning Toolkit, Sutton Trust/EEF, July 2012

“The Oftsed inspector that saw the Connectors lesson said she had never seen a book talk where everybody was so engaged, and on task. She said the system obviously works really well for children because everybody was focused.” Literacy Coordinator, Ecton Brook Primary School