Today I shared VIPERS with the Redbridge Assessment Network so I thought that I would share some of the resources here.   We looked at applying VIPERS to texts that could be used with a whole class, a group or during one-to-one reading.

The first text was the opening to 'The Sleeper and the Spindle' by Neil Gaiman.   

(Click on the images to enlarge) 

Using the VIPERS question stems, which can be downloaded here, questions can be quickly generated. Teachers can ensure that all of the main comprehension skills are covered in a single session or they can focus on one of the domains.  

In this short extract from Oliver Jeffers' 'Lost and Found' we can ask each questions that would provide evidence for each of the VIPERS.  (S does rely on reading the rest of the book) 

It is easy to rehearse these comprehension skills using images or film.  Today we looked at this image from Once Upon A Picture

VIPERS questions:
V – Can you find synonyms for the word ship.
I  – Are the men peaceful?
P – Where do you think the men are going?  Why do you think they are going there?
E – Why do you think the sky is dark and stormy?
E – Can you say how the two boats are similar?  Why is this? 
R – Approximately how many men are on each ship?  What power does the ship use?
S – Summarise what you can see on the ships.

There are now over 30 film VIPERS on Literacyshedplus.com you can view some samples here. 

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Last week, I had the rather surreal experience of visiting a theme park for the first time in years without my children! It was only when I told them I was going for ‘work’ that they accepted me leaving them behind. I say ‘work’, but what I really mean is a type of recce. A teacher friend and I set off to Paulton’s Park in Hampshire to explore what is advertised as the UK’s most unique classroom, and what a delight it was. A treasure trove, resembling something one might expect to find in Hogwarts, full of a wealth of resources to support learning across the curriculum. 

​From a primary perspective, Professor Blast’s Lab is perfect for enhancing science, DT and computing topics beyond your usual classroom. K’Nex rollercoasters and a tour of the park’s rides allow pupils to consider different forces and how they affect the rides (physics suddenly becomes very cool!). Minibeast and Rainforest Ranger workshops look fantastic for supporting science across a range of year groups, and could also be used for cross-curricular topics. As a Year 6 teacher with a South America topic coming up, the supporting materials on deforestation and conservation brought up links to citizenship, English, geography and science- well worth a visit just for this! 

​Once I had explored the indoor lab, packed with pulleys, minibeasts and IT programmed K’Nex, I ventured outside to see the wildlife of Critter Creek and Beastie Burrow- brilliant for supporting learning of adaptations and animal classifications. And of course, being the thorough teacher that I am, it was only right that I checked out some of the rides, too! I’d seriously recommend flight of the Pterosaur!
 

​If you are interested in booking a visit for your class to Paulton’s Park, go to their website for more information: https://paultonspark.co.uk/education/