Reading Vipers

20/3/2017

I have been thinking about and researching how to improve comprehension skills using a range of high quality texts, images, picture books and of course film.
After a number of sessions with children in schools using the new content domains, which can be found on the gov.uk website, I found that all of the key comprehension skills were being covered through the domains. As some of you who follow this blog will know, I like a mnemonic. So I set about thinking about a mnemonic that could be used by teachers, other adults who read with children and also the children themselves. My first attempt - MR SIP TEA was not the catchiest so we have come up with Reading Vipers. Vipers cover the key comprehension skills in line with the 'new' content domains.

The same mnemonic can be used by both KS1 and KS2 with a little adaptation.

The main differences being in the S - sequence in KS1 and Summarise in KS2 also in the Explain section.

In KS1 'Explain' is not one of the content domains, rather it asks children to explain why they have come to a certain conclusion or to explain their preferences, thoughts and opinions about a text.

In KS2 the Explain section covers the additional content domains of 2F, 2G and 2H which are not present in KS1.

(See Table below.)

We have created a useful set of question stems for each of the VIPERS which teachers will soon be able to download.

At Literacy Shed the minions are now busy making a whole host of resources that will link to Reading Vipers. There are now 30+ Film VIPERS on www.literacyshedplus.com

We are also creating a range of comprehension materials based on extracts from classic texts such as Black Beauty, The Time Machine, Robinson Crusoe and many more which will soon be available here. www.literacyshedplus.com Until then you can download The Time Machine sample (as seen below) by clicking here. =

Visual Vipers

The same key viper skills can be rehearsed effectively using single images or picture books.

Take a look at this example using the picture book 'Return' by Aaron Becker.

V - Can you think of one word that will best describe how the girl's Father is feeling?
I - How is the girl feeling at this point? Use evidence from previous pages to explain why she may be feeling like this.
P - What do you think will happen now her Father has arrived?
E - Explain the difference between her Father in this scene and when we see him in the first two pages of the book.
R - Where are the characters when the girl's father finds them?
S - The Father will want to know what has been happening. Imagine you are the girl, summarise the events in the story so far to tell to her Father.

FILM VIPERS

There are over 30 sets of VIPERS questions for the Literacy Shed films now on www.literacyshedplus.com

The question stem documents can be downloaded by click on the relevant image below.

As always comments are welcome!
Click the text below for further reading.

Further Reading: Applying VIPERS

59 Comments

Laura

20/3/2017 06:50:26 pm

Love the sound of these 'Reading Vipers'. Looking forward to seeing some more resources using them.

SCaddick link

6/2/2018 10:50:44 am

We are now using this whole school and I am really, really thrilled at how all the teachers are using this fabulous resource. Worth every single penny. Well done, all of you, wow!

lorraine moore

2/4/2018 01:45:16 pm

Hi, could you forward a simple plan of how you work in year 1? I haven't tried this yet and would love a guidance as you know what you're doing-thanx

Nicola

12/9/2018 09:55:35 pm

Hi, we’re introducing this whole school - how have you made this work at the start of year 1?

Annette Casse

23/3/2017 08:37:53 am

I love your reading VIPERS! Are we allowed to use this in school? Thanks

Debbie Harrison link

4/5/2020 12:18:48 pm

you are junk

Rob (Literacy Shed)

23/3/2017 04:27:35 pm

Yes of course.

Please do!

Cat

24/3/2017 04:04:14 pm

Would you use these as objectives across KS2 or just Y6? I struggle with the idea of loads of objectives plus assessment foci too.
Thanks

Rob link

7/4/2017 11:12:18 am

Across the whole school from y1 to y6

4/5/2020 12:19:15 pm

lol

David Oates

25/3/2017 08:43:34 am

Looks really good. Splitting into 6 domains, clearly designed will really help the kids.

25/3/2017 08:58:54 am

I would use these across the whole school from y1 to y6.

These are assessment foci - but would form the basis of my reading objectives.

Emma

25/3/2017 09:42:36 am

Love the look of this! Do you think any of your resources will focus on one thing at a time rather than the whole of VIPERS?

jen

26/3/2017 07:22:24 pm

Hi.

We are going for the whole class reading approach, i.e. using the domains to plan round chapter books. For the younger children we will use shorter books and use the VIPERS also. Any gaps in learning can then be plugged through lessons focussed on particular domains, e.g. inference. On Fridays we hope to tackle comprehension activities linked to vipers. Any lack of fluency and struggles in word reading will be covered through individual daily readers. Do you think this sounds ok? Many thanks.

Rob

27/3/2017 12:07:51 pm

Hi Emma - is this what you would prefer?

Becky Lyons

2/4/2017 09:29:02 am

Is there a KS1 version of the above table you've included for KS2 linking vipers to the content domains?

2/4/2017 10:46:22 am

It is the same as above just change the 2 to a 1 except it stops at 1e in KS1.

The S stands for sequence in 1c rather than summarise at 2c.

I'll make a table sometime this week though if you would like one.

Sarah

2/2/2020 09:55:05 am

Hi Rob,
Looking at this, the KS2 sentence stems for summarise seem to be the same as KS1 sentence stems for sequence. Is this right? Many thanks - hoping to give these out to staff at school.

Veronica

5/4/2017 07:17:59 pm

Hello this is a lovely thing! I like using pics because they're accessible to almost all. I used your questions as a whole class model then adapted them with a different picture for independent work. It created lots of discussion, which was nice as most of my kids went in ability groups. Even my lowest readers had a go. Thank you!!

5/4/2017 07:20:25 pm

Sorry, that should have said 'the kids weren't in ability groups', not 'went'!

Elena

6/4/2017 07:26:32 pm

This looks like a great resource. Can't wait to try it, thank you.

Karen Barkley

20/4/2017 09:54:52 am

Hi, being in NZ, we don't have key stages. Would it be possible to just have Reading Vipers on the posters rather than the Key Stage 2? I really like the simplicity yet covers everything we need. many thanks : )

Paula

23/4/2017 01:59:46 pm

Love these - I just need to adapt for CfE in Scotland. Many thanks.

29/4/2017 01:37:48 pm

What is it you need to adapt?

Steph Griffin

28/4/2017 11:05:49 am

These look really useful. Thank you.

Ruth

28/5/2017 04:08:46 pm

Love this I've been looking for a better way to teach comprehension.

claire link

15/6/2017 08:52:01 pm

Hi, did you know there is a typo on ks2 reading skills on the infer page? (not being picky, it's just that I was intending to use it as part of my reading display)

26/6/2017 01:03:24 pm

Sorry - now edited!

Susan

12/8/2017 01:04:40 pm

Also a typo in KS1 on the predict page.
I love these and the nemonic VIPERS. Thank you.

12/8/2017 01:12:34 pm

Edited the KS1 predict page.

kirstie helks

14/8/2017 06:43:13 am

Hi. These resources are fantastic- definitely going to use these extensively in my teaching of reading next year. I just wondered if you had any resources which focussed on a single aspect (e.g. just vocabulary) rather than covering all the domains.

Thanks.

Rachel

16/8/2017 03:44:59 pm

I love this resource. Is there any possibility that you could produce them as book marks with one domain on one book mark?

eloise link

13/9/2017 08:37:56 pm

Fantastic resource. Will print as posters for my library and use in my group reads. Thank you.

melissa preston

8/11/2017 06:07:54 pm

Hi Rob, please would it be possible to have the VIPERS Tolsby frames for KS1 aswell as KS2 please .. I can't seem to find the KS1 ones.

Milly

7/2/2018 07:04:29 pm

Hi, a couple of people have asked about resources that look at a single domain at a time. This is what we do at our school. Is there anything to support? Thanks

Becky

2/5/2018 09:14:20 am

I love the sound of VIPERS and we're trialling this in school. Some of the feedback I've received from KS1 is linked to word reading and fluency. I'm wondering how people are addressing this in their teaching, particularly for year 1?

Vickie

18/8/2018 01:22:12 pm

Rob, can you please give me the direct link to the Vipers question stems. On one page it says they are coming soon and I can’t find them on the page that you get directed to. Ta!

Angie

27/8/2018 11:08:43 am

Hi, I've made a document based on VIPERS for my reading corner. It is designed (hopefully) to make readers more 'active' when they are discussing and reading their own books and may prevent them from using the reading corner as a resting place! It should be able to be applicable to any book that they read.

I hope that's OK to use your ideas? I'd attach it but I don't think I can on here. If you want to see it then please email me.

Thanks.

Eliza

25/2/2019 05:28:35 pm

Please send me the document you made. Many thanks :)

Scott

5/9/2018 09:55:54 am

Hi, does anyone have bookmark versions of the KS1 Reading Vipers question types? I can only find the full page versions.
Thanks in advance, Scott.

Louise

1/10/2018 09:54:54 am

Hi, We have switched over to the Reading Vipers this year as the basis for our whole class reading which is working really well. We would like to give out book marks with reading question prompts to support them with reading at home. Is it ok to make these using the vipers so that the children have a link between home and school? Many thanks.

1/1/2019 12:11:35 pm

Hi,
We are looking to move away from guided reading groups to the whole class teaching of reading. Could you forward me an example of how Vipers might work in each year group? For example would teachers have to apply the guidance to their own texts and complete their own planning -or is the planning already done - and provided when you 'buy in'? Does it consider differentiation to meet the needs of all pupils - or do teachers need to adjust the questioning themselves?

The resource looks amazing and just what we need to give the teaching of reading a boost.
Thank-you

Sara Mckillop

28/1/2019 04:37:01 pm

Hi. We’re debating what our learning objective should be for this lesson. We have to write ‘We are learning...’ for every lesson. Some say we should have a focus area each week, eg We are learning to use inference skills’ but having read the idea of vipers, we should be covering as many as possible, eg ‘we are learning to use vipers’. Thanks

3/2/2019 04:38:27 pm

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shnovisht

5/2/2019 08:08:42 pm

I am really interested in how you would expect all staff to plan for VIPERS. with the constant demand for Learning questions/objectives how do you focus this while still covering a range of content domains. Has anyone developed and used a planning sheet/proforma?

Maria Laura

26/2/2019 05:20:35 pm

Hi! At my school, we are using rubrics to assess Reading. I'm still finding it difficult to grasp the concept or understand the question types for Explain. Can you help me with this, please? Thanks!

24/5/2019 04:44:05 pm

We love VIPERS at our school but were wondering if you have any of these resources directed at EYFS. We're keen to have a whole school approach, and whole school means reception too. Please can you help?

Lily

23/7/2019 08:41:05 am

Hiya,

How do I purchase resources for VIPERS?

Mrs Tweedie

4/10/2019 12:24:23 pm

Hi there, we have just purchased 16 Beowulf books by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Michael Foreman and the pages don't match up with the VIPERS questions! Help!

Sharon Facey

30/11/2019 04:57:12 pm

I am a fourth grade teacher and I just discovered your blog. Is it possible to get permission to use your resources for teaching. At this time I am seeking permission to use the Christmas Adverts on a Shedful of Christmas. Is this possible?

12/12/2019 11:41:20 am

Hi,
These VIPERS objective have really transformed our teaching of reading in the Junior School I work in.
I wondered whether there is any information on how the approach to teaching them can differ and progress in each year group? In a recent visit from a School Improvement Advisor, we were told that we needed to have a clear vision on what each area of VIPERS should look like and the degree to which it should be taught from years 3-6.
I personally feel that it is with the text itself that the progress can be seen, but you may have more information to suggest otherwise.
Thank you!

Anna Riley

11/2/2020 10:21:09 am

Hi,
Do you need to buy the texts separately to go with the VIPER resources or are all extracts provided for Y1/Y2

Natasha

28/6/2020 09:32:40 pm

Hi,
I really like the look of your VIPERS resource. I am looking for resources for teachers to use to aid reading comprehension. Does it include lessons that focus on one aspect i.e a week of work on inference?
Many thanks

Joannaskingston link

14/7/2020 09:56:19 am

Where can I find the curriculum links page (like one above that links to curriculum objectives for reading)

14/7/2020 11:59:21 am

where do i find the vipers that are linked to reading curriculum ie "Vocab 2a Give/Explain meanings of words in context."

Jan

19/8/2020 09:57:37 pm

Hiya Literacy Shed,
We will be using the Vipers approach from September. I'd like to know how progression is shown through this approach. For example, is it through the choice of text or are there different question for each year group?
Thanks

Kate Wilkes

3/10/2020 10:34:30 pm

Hi,
I would love some advice on how I can develop sing VIPERS more in non-fiction text. Would you still stick to 1 VIPER as a focus? (This is what we currently do)

Steph R

27/10/2020 08:51:37 pm

Hello! I just wondered if anyone had made a KS1 table like the one above for the content domains? Thanks

Roy E link

26/12/2020 05:35:57 pm

Hi nice readinng your blog

The Literacy Shed Blog

Reading Vipers

Visual Vipers

FILM VIPERS

Further Reading: Applying VIPERS

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