Whether independent reading belongs in the school day depends on how the time is used. A regular twenty-minute period could help students read beyond set texts and build concentration. In addition, discussing a choice with a teacher may encourage reluctant readers to persist. However, protected time alone will not solve every barrier: students also need access to books that reflect their interests and reading confidence. For that reason, a trial should include a varied collection and a brief student survey. Schools could then compare participation and feedback before deciding how to proceed.
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IGCSE ESL 0510 / 0511
Should schools set aside time for independent reading?
Essay · B2 writing pack
B2: present a developed argument with a counterpoint and reasoned conclusion.
Read like a writer · B2
Model for teacher assessing a developed argument
Task: B2: present a developed argument with a counterpoint and reasoned conclusion.
1Orient the reader
2Develop the key point
3Close with purpose
Purposeful lexis
Whether · In addition · However · For that reason · before deciding
Grammar and register
Conditional reasoning, qualification, evidence-based recommendation
Teach the lesson
Notice, rehearse, write and review
Try it tomorrow
B2: present a developed argument with a counterpoint and reasoned conclusion.
- Students mark who will read the text and what that reader needs.
- They select two useful linkers from the model and explain their job.
- They write a new response with original details, then use the checklist to revise.
Success criteria
- Purpose and audience are clear from the opening.
- Each requested point is developed with a specific example or reason.
- Linkers express a real relationship between ideas.
- The ending suits the text type and reader.
Teacher language
Useful language choices
Whether · In addition · However · For that reason · before deciding
Questions that draw out detail
- What does your reader need to know first?
- Which example makes this point convincing?
- What relationship does this linker show: contrast, cause, sequence or addition?
- Does the register fit the reader and purpose?
Feedback focus
Give one response on task coverage, one on organisation and one on a language choice that the learner can use again. Avoid treating a memorised phrase as evidence of control.
Adapt it by level
More support
Rehearse the ideas orally, use a three-box planning frame and offer two optional sentence openings. Keep the model visible while the learner plans.
Greater independence
Remove the frame, change the audience or purpose and ask learners to justify their choices of structure and register.
Course fit
B2: present a developed argument with a counterpoint and reasoned conclusion. Follow the current course task, audience, word guidance and assessment criteria. This teaching model is not an official examination response or awarded grade.
Check transfer
Use a fresh prompt and look for the same purposeful decisions expressed in the learner’s own words.