All of the fiction and non-fiction texts and some of the poems have been newly commissioned for this project. The poetry has been selected for inclusion by Pie Corbett and Ann Webley series editors of i-read. i-read features texts by a range of well-known and well-loved authors, including Martin Waddell and Valerie Bloom.

What is the teaching and learning process within i-read?

The teaching materials provide for a four-part teaching and learning process:

Demonstration or modelling of reading strategies and behaviours by the teacher, using texts on the CD-ROM.
Shared and supported application of those skills, using activities on the CD-ROM.
Independent and guided practice by the children to consolidate learning.
Review and consolidation of learning in the plenary.

i-read also offers a range of non-ICT-based activities to support and develop work done in each unit. These include activities in art, design, PE, drama and music, which build on the themes investigated in the i-read story. The teacher's notes provided on the disk support this process.

What is the scope and sequence of i-read?

For each term there are three themes. Within each theme there are two texts, taken from the range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. The units cover the main text-level objectives from the renewed Primary Framework for Literacy, and reference is also made to speaking and listening objectives. Curriculum correlation charts are provided on the i-read website

Is i-read matched to the renewed Primary Framework for Literacy?

i-read is fully matched to the reading objectives of the renewed Framework.

It also takes into account the increased emphasis on speaking and listening, targeting a range of speaking and listening objectives in each unit. i-read also offers the opportunity to work with ICT texts for on-screen reading, which is another requirement set out in the Framework. Curriculum correlation charts can be found on the i-read website.

How can I use i-read to support my teaching of phonics?

Shared reading of the texts and poetry will help children to recognize high frequency words in context and build phonemic awareness. From each unit, the authors have carefully chosen particular words and phrases, such as phonically regular words, new or 'tricky' words, rhyming words, or words with particular phonemes and graphemes, for the teaching of phonics. These appear as focus highlights and the teacher's notes offer the teacher guidance on how and when to use them. In addition, interactive activities give children opportunities to practise their phonological skills.

How much material is there and how long will it take me to use it?

i-read provides six units per term, split across three themes and covering a mixture of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Each unit consists of five focuses (equating approximately to a one-week period). So, each CD-ROM provides enough material to teach for up to six weeks per term, or eighteen weeks per year. Of course, some classes may need more time on certain aspects and others may move more rapidly through a unit. This has to be at the teacher's discretion, but should fit alongside most medium-term planning that you already have in place.

How are the units structured?

The units are all built around a main text. In each unit, all sessions except the last focus on the interactive teaching of reading skills. This ranges from applying techniques such as sounding out, re-reading and looking at the context in order to decipher the words on the page, to general enjoyment and appreciation of the texts. Focus 5 introduces the notion of preparing to write. This offers a starting point for independent writing in the genres or text types under study in the unit.

How will i-read help me to embed ICT into my literacy teaching?

i-read has been developed in line with the Primary National Strategy recommendations promoting the use of ICT texts as an integral part of children's reading and of teacher's tools for teaching. The following points have, therefore, been kept in mind:

the need to offer teachers a resource that supports the exploration of the technical possibilities offered by an interactive whiteboard, but keeps the focus on what the children need to learn;
the need to maintain a balance between the whole-class part of the lesson and time for the children's independent work;
the need to enable children to apply to their own work what they have learnt from working with an interactive whiteboard.

The greatest potential for ICT, however, is in presenting 'ICT texts' for onscreen reading, as demanded by the renewed Framework. Each disk in i-read KS1 features a multimodal text, which allows the reader to navigate various routes through the text and to access information in different ways.

What sort of ICT features does i-read offer?

i-read has been developed as a blended resource from the outset, so any ICT feature is included for good reason rather than just for the sake of featuring extra 'bells and whistles'. Here are some examples of the features offered by the program:

selected audio enhancements - music, sound effects, poetry readings, oral storytelling and dialogues to hone listening skills;
author interviews - authors of the texts explain how they go about the process of writing to assist children in the transition from reading to writing;
video clips, animations and photographs to appeal to visual learners;
pop-up questions, glossaries and pronunciation guides to help children engage with the text;
a range of interactive activities to allow practice of reading skills.

What if I don't have daily access to an IWB?

No problem. The i-read teaching texts could be projected easily onto a plain wall for ease of viewing, or accessed on PCs in a networked suite. Whilst this type of projection would not allow access to the interactive features or activities, this is still a useful method for demonstrating and sharing skills. If there is no alternative technology available, then all the texts are available in the printed anthologies or as PDF files for printing out ahead of the lesson. i-read has been developed as a blended resource because we know that books and ICT work best together.

How does i-read allow for different learning strategies?

A unique feature of the programme is that it is based upon the explicit recognition of children's differing preferred learning styles. For example:

on-screen annotation of texts, which appeals to kinaesthetic and visual learners;
the use of voice-overs, music and sound effects to draw in aural learners;
high-quality video clips, animations, photographs and artwork for visual learners;
the explicit teacher modelling of strategies in shared reading to support both visual and aural learners;
high-quality texts, written for the specific target age group, to motivate interpersonal and intrapersonal learners, who are sensitive to nuances of text and cognitive demand;
the strategy-led, cognitive approach developed through the teacher resources, to interest logical learners, who like to reason and solve problems.

How is speaking and listening supported?

The interactive, shared and guided approach to developing reading is built around the central role that talk plays in deepening comprehension and appreciation. Indeed, the programme is built around direct demonstration of specific strategies and also allows for the tentative exploration and development of meaning.

There are open questions for discussion and drama activities to help children imaginatively engage with the world of the text. Children are given the opportunity to form their own questions, and to discuss their own reading strategies and approaches to develop metacognition.

Many of the interactive activities do not feature right/wrong feedback; questions remain open in order to encourage debate within the session. This allows the teacher more freedom to orchestrate responses. Where feedback is given, it is constructive, and children are always offered the chance to try again if they get an answer wrong first-time round.

References to speaking and listening opportunities are provided in order to demonstrate where previously taught speaking and listening objectives can be consolidated.

How does i-read help me to meet the needs of my mixed-ability class?

When they first begin to read, children's reading is mainly based on decoding the words on the page and interpreting meaning on the simplest level - that involving plot, characters, etc. i-read both supports the development of these basic skills and enables maturing readers to refine their reading skills, looking at aspects such as the style and effectiveness of the author's choice of words, and how these features - and others - help the author to achieve his/her aim.

To this end, the questions provided on screen and in the teacher's notes are built around five specific skills - literal, deductive, inferential, authorial and evaluative comprehension.

The focus highlight feature also helps children of all abilities. It offers targeted practice of high-frequency words, as well as focusing on decoding trickier words in a supported setting.

Whilst some classes may need more scaffolding, the materials are sufficiently flexible to allow you to move through a unit at your own pace.

It is suggested that children should be encouraged to read and re-read carefully - the first read providing an overall understanding, and the second allowing for more detailed and interpretative thinking.

What is the link with writing?

Essentially, i-read is a programme that focuses on reading strategies but leads into a final session in each unit which sets the class up for writing their own piece in a similar style. Clearly, at this level, children will probably not be aiming to produce a complete piece of written work, but i-read nevertheless offers children opportunities to practise writing simple sentences, captions and labels, and to complete cloze texts by adding their own words and phrases. Many of the 'preparing to write' sessions can be delivered using ICT resources rather than pencil and paper if appropriate.

How will i-read be useful for my teaching assistant?

i-read is an easily accessible programme for practitioners to use. A teaching assistant who is familiar and confident with using an interactive whiteboard may be able to lead a lesson using the teacher's notes. A less ICT-confident assistant may be better employed working with groups during the independent activity section of the session.

Is there any additional support for i-read?

Yes! In addition to the teacher's notes and help booklet, i-read has its own support website: www.cambridge-hitachi.com/i-read. Curriculum correlation charts, focus-by-focus breakdowns, short demos, author interviews and biographies are just some of many features present. If you have any further questions, you can contact your local Cambridge-Hitachi representative or call the i-read technical support team on: +44 (0) 1223 325040.

As with all resources, the material is merely the starting point - it is the skills of the teacher or teaching assistant that will make i-read really great in the classroom!

I uninstalled i-read Year 1 but the shortcuts of i-read Year 2 (start menu and desktop shortcuts) were also removed.

This is a known issue that is going to be addressed in the near future. Please consult this page again for a solution to the problem.

In the meantime, please launch i-read year 2 directly by browsing to its installation location and clicking on start.exe. The default installation location is C:\Program Files\CambridgeHitachi\i-read\year2. In order to avoid browsing to the installation location, you can create a new desktop shortcut and launch the application using the latter.

Key Stage 2

What is the teaching and learning process within i-read?
The teaching materials provide for a four-part teaching and learning process:

Demonstration or modelling of reading strategies and behaviours by the teacher, using e-texts on the interactive CD-ROM ('I'll show you how.')
Shared and scaffolded application of those skills, using activities on the CD-ROM ('Let's have a go together.')
Independent and guided practice by the children to consolidate learning, using either the anthologies or the PDF printouts of e-texts and shadow texts. ('Now have a go on your own.')
Review and consolidation of learning in the plenary ('What have we learned . and where do we need to go next?')

What is the scope and sequence of i-read?

For each term there are three units - poetry, fiction and non-fiction. The units match the main NLS text types suggested for each term and cover a range of text-level objectives. Reference is made to relevant sentence- and word-level objectives, as well as to speaking and listening objectives, where teaching and learning opportunities occur. Curriculum correlation charts for NLS, ICT and speaking & listening objectives are provided on each CD-ROM. Charts are also supplied which cover cross-curricular links. In Y6T3, there are specific revision and practice units for the SATs.

How much material is there and how long will it take me to use it?
i-read provides one unit each of fiction, non-fiction and poetry per term.

This breaks down as follows:

10 sessions for fiction for each term (equating approximately to a 2-week period);
10 sessions for non-fiction for each term (equating approximately to a 2-week period);
5 sessions for poetry (equating approximately to a 1-week period).

So, each CD-ROM provides enough material to teach for up to 5 weeks per term or 15 weeks a year. Of course, some classes may need more time on certain aspects and others may move more rapidly through a unit. This has to be at the teacher's discretion, but should fit alongside most medium-term planning that you already have in place.

How are the units structured?

The units are all built around a main e-text. In each unit, all sessions except the last focus on the interactive teaching of reading skills using the features already described. Session 10 (in fiction and non-fiction units) or Session 5 (in poetry units) always introduces the notion of preparing to write. This offers a starting point for independent writing in the genres or text types under study in the unit. It is entirely possible for a teacher to continue with this into a further week so that children can follow through the process of completing a whole piece of sustained writing. Alternatively, it is possible to use existing classroom resources and plans in order to follow through with the writing requirements for the term. The sessions provide specific focus on the following aspects:

Fiction - response, characterisation, setting, use of language, plot, evaluation, preparing to write.
Non-fiction - response, audience and purpose, use of language, visual literacy, structure and organisation, preparing to write.
Poetry - response, form and structure, language features, interpretation and evaluation, preparing to write.

How will i-read help me to embed ICT into my literacy teaching?
i-read has been developed in line with the Primary National Strategy recommendations promoting the use of ICT texts as an integral part of children's reading and of teachers' tools for teaching. The following points have therefore been kept in mind:

the fact that teachers do not want to abandon previously effective use of resources when offered all that a whiteboard offers;
the need to offer teachers a resource that supports the exploration of the technical possibilities offered by the board but keeps the focus on what the children need to learn;
the need to maintain a balance between the whole-class part of the lesson and time for the children's independent work;
the need to enable children to apply to their own work what they have learnt from working with an interactive whiteboard.

The greatest potential for ICT, however, is in presenting 'ICT texts', which allow the reader to shape the text by making choices along the way. i-read offers one ICT text of this kind per CD-ROM.

What if I don't have daily access to an IWB?
No problem. The i-read teaching texts could be projected easily onto a plain wall for ease of viewing, or accessed on PCs in a networked suite. Whilst this type of projection would not allow access to the interactive features or activities, this is still a useful method for demonstrating and sharing skills. If there is no alternative technology available then all the e-texts and the shadow texts are available in the printed anthologies or as PDF files for printing out ahead of the lesson. i-read has been developed as a blended resource because we know that books and ICT work best together.

How can I use i-read to support guided reading?
The guided/independent activities in the Teacher's Notes offer ideas and guidance on how to use both the e-text and the shadow text for a guided reading session. Many of the demonstration and shared sessions include suggestions that could equally apply to a guided reading session: reading, analysing, searching for clues, discussion and so on. i-read can help effective guided reading in the following ways:

by actively engaging pupils with reading, through interactive features;
by providing a range of opportunities for reading, from the teacher-led whole-class sessions to application of the skills learned in the whole-class session in group and independent work;
by encouraging discussion of the focus texts in pairs or groups;
by offering different texts within a single text type to encourage a range of reading;
by encouraging children to re-read familiar texts.

How does i-read help with reading levels?

The e-texts have been levelled for each year group, but take account of the fact that they are most likely to be used by the teacher working with the children. The shadow texts have also been levelled for each year group, but take account of the fact that they are most likely to be used by the children in a group or working independently; they are slightly simpler. The teaching in any of the i-read sessions should build on what pupils know and can do, and on their ability to apply new strategies independently. Teachers must have a clear idea of pupils' current levels of attainment and the specific reading skills and strategies that, if developed, would enhance pupils' ability to read, to understand and to reflect on what they are reading.

i-read presents a programme of cumulative skills and strategies based around quality texts from which the teacher may select appropriately. Once pupils are reading at NC level 3/4 there is no single correct order in which to work through the aspects of a particular level descriptor, but a programme such as i-read can help teachers to make choices about which aspects of the level descriptors certain groups of children need to work on next.

i-read assumes the ongoing use of school guided reading records, supported by teacher observation and record-keeping systems, and acknowledges that these remain the best source of information needed to make decisions about where groupings of pupils should head next.

How does i-read allow for different learning strategies?

A unique feature of the programme is that it is based upon the explicit recognition of children's differing preferred learning styles. For instance: on-screen annotation of texts, which appeals to kinaesthetic and visual learners; the use of voice-overs, music and sound effects to draw in aural learners; high-quality photographs, artwork, maps and charts for visual learners; the explicit teacher-modelling of strategies in shared reading to support both visual and aural learners; high-quality texts, written for the specific target age group, to motivate interpersonal and intrapersonal learners, who are sensitive to nuances of text and cognitive demand; the strategy-led, cognitive approach developed through the teacher resources, to interest logical learners, who like to reason and solve problems.

How does i-read help me to meet the needs of my mixed-ability class?

When they first begin to read, children's reading is mainly based on decoding the words on the page and interpreting meaning on the simplest level - that involving plot, characters, etc. i-read both supports the development of these basic skills and enables maturing readers to refine their reading skills, looking at aspects such as the style and effectiveness of an author's choice of words, and how these features - and others - help the author to achieve their aim. To this end, the questions provided onscreen and in the Teacher's Notes are built around five specific skills - literal, deductive, inferential, authorial and evaluative comprehension.

Whilst some classes may need more scaffolding, the materials are sufficiently flexible to allow you to move through a unit at your own pace. It is suggested that children should be encouraged to read and reread carefully - the first read providing an overall understanding and the second allowing for more detailed and interpretative thinking. The use of the shadow text provides a strategy for the average or more able group to work independently from the teacher, whilst the anthology provides a strategy for the weaker group to work with the teacher on a 'seen' text. Of course, this may vary considerably according to different classes and groups.

How is speaking and listening supported?
The interactive, shared and guided approach to developing reading is built around the central role that talk plays in deepening comprehension and appreciation. Indeed, the programme is built around direct demonstration of specific strategies and also allows for the tentative exploration and development of meaning.

There are open questions for discussion, drama activities to help children imaginatively engage with the world of the text, as well as suggestions for debates and presentations. Children are given opportunities to form their own questions, and to discuss their own reading strategies and approaches to develop metacognition.

Right/wrong feedback on the interactive activities is not offered; questions remain open in order to encourage debate within the session. This allows the teacher more freedom to orchestrate responses. References to speaking and listening opportunities are provided in order to demonstrate where previously taught speaking and listening objectives can be consolidated.

Is there a link with writing?
Essentially, i-read is a programme that focuses on reading strategies but it leads into a final session in each unit which sets the class up for writing their own piece in a similar style. It may be useful to refer back to the original e-texts to remind children of different language structures and features that they may wish to imitate in their own writing.

How will i-read be useful for my Teaching Assistant?
i-read is an easily accessible programme for practitioners to use. A Teaching Assistant who is familiar and confident with using an interactive whiteboard may be able to lead a lesson using the Teacher's Notes and on-screen prompts. A less ICT-confident assistant may be better employed working with groups: either those revisiting the e-text with support or those trying to apply their new-found skills to the shadow text. As with all resources, the material is merely the starting point - it is the skills of the teacher or Teaching Assistant that will make i-read really great in the classroom!

Can I use i-read on a Mac?
Yes, i-read runs on both PC and Mac computers.

Is i-read networkable?
Yes, i-read can be run over a network, enabling the whole school to use the software.

Do I need a network licence?
No, the Cambridge-Hitachi One Price Solution means the network licence is included.

Do I have to install the software on my computer in order to use it?
Yes, you will need to install i-read.

I am using Flash Player 8, and find that some elements of the product are not working

If you are using Flash Player 8, you may find that its enhanced security settings stop some elements of your Cambridge-Hitachi product from working. For example, buttons may appear to do nothing when you click on them. This is because Flash Player 8's security settings will only allow trusted content to play. There is a quick and easy way to set up Flash Player 8 always to trust content from Cambridge-Hitachi:

Go to Macromedia website to access the Macromedia Flash Player Settings Manager.
The program runs within the web page, so you won't need to download anything. All you need to do is follow these instructions:
Go to the Global Security Settings tab.
Click on the "Edit locations..." dropdown and choose "Add location...".
Click on the "Browse for folder..." button and browse to C:\Program Files\CambridgeHitachi (NB - the folder may also be named Cambridge-Hitachi or Cambridge Hitachi).
Click "OK".

Your Cambridge-Hitachi products should now work correctly.

To check if you have Flash Player 8 installed, right-click in a product that uses Flash. You will see a menu with "About Macromedia Flash Player X..." at the bottom. This will tell you which version of Flash you are using.

I have upgraded my Adobe Reader to version 8 and since then I cannot view the PDF teacher resources.

Please consult the table below. Depending on the i-read KS2 year you are using and on the type of installer you have used to install i-read*, please select the patch that applies to your case and run it according to the instructions provided below. After running the appropriate patch you should be able to view the PDF teacher resources properly with Adobe Reader 8.

i-read KS2	Version	Standard Installer Patches (to be used if i-read has been installed using the standard exe installer)	MSI Installer Patches (to be used if i-read has been installed using an MSI installer)
Year 3	v1.00	i-read - Year 3 Update.zip	i-read - Year 3 MSI Update.zip
Year 4	v1.00A	i-read - Year 4 Update.zip	i-read - Year 4 MSI Update.zip
Year 5	v1.00	i-read - Year 5 Update.zip	i-read - Year 5 MSI Update.zip
Year 6	v1.00	i-read - Year 6 Update.zip	i-read - Year 6 MSI Update.zip

Instructions for opening ZIP files

Click the link for the installer patch you require
Save the ZIP file to your desktop
Double-click the ZIP file to view your chosen installer patch file

Standard Installer Patches

Apply these patches if you have installed i-read using the standard exe installer (such as start .exe for Year 3). In case of doubt, if during the installation you let the installer autorun when you first entered the CD in the drive and the installer ran automatically, then you have used the standard exe installer.

Instructions:

Double click on the update file to run it. You will be presented with a 'Begin Installation' panel. The patch will then attempt to automatically locate and update the application. If it cannot locate the installation automatically, you will be asked to select the installation folder. If this folder contains the application it will continue with the installation. If not, then it will display an error message. Once the update is complete, you will then be presented with an 'Installation complete' panel.

MSI Installer Patches

Apply these patches if you have installed i-read using the MSI installer (such as i-read - Year 3.msi for Year 3). This installer is typically used by system administrators to deploy the software on a network of machines. The MSI patch can similarly be used by system administrators to deploy the patch to their network.

Instructions:

Double click on the update file to run it. You will be presented with a 'Begin Installation' panel. The patch will then attempt to automatically locate and update the application. Once the update is complete, you will then be presented with an 'Installation complete' panel. The patch will display an error message if the update is not applied correctly.

*Note: if you are unsure as to which type of installer has been used to install your i-read, then try first the MSI patch. If you get an error message, then try the standard installer patch. This should then work properly.

Is i-read Windows Vista compatible?

i-read (up to version 1.01 ) is not Windows Vista compatible,however a new Vista compatible version is currently under development.

If you have already purchased i-read and you wish to receive a Vista compatible version once this becomes available, please email a request to techsupport@cambridge-hitachi.com with your personal/institutional information, postal address and invoice number.