Reading
How We Encourage a Love of Reading at Durham Lane
We believe that reading is of paramount importance in our school for two main reasons: it is essential for acquiring knowledge across the curriculum; it is of immense personal and social value.
Throughout our curriculum, we ensure that reading is made a priority and that children are encouraged to read in order to develop their knowledge across a broad range of subjects and this is frequently monitored by the English Lead (Miss Barrett).
Coupled with this, we continuously promote the love of reading throughout school in many ways, including the following and we measure the impact of this through monitoring and pupil voice:
Book Buddies
Each half-term, the English Lead encourages children in Y5 and Y6 to come along to a ‘Book Buddies’ club on Tuesday lunchtimes. Prior to the club starting, the English Lead speaks to all the children in Y5 and Y6, reads the book blurb and talks to them about the genre/storyline of the book. The children then apply to come along to the club. Every Tuesday, the children attend the club and discuss the chosen book. The children are encouraged to read some of the book at home and complete different activities which are voluntary, but the children often complete these and enjoy doing so. Pupil interviews with the children show how much they enjoy this club.
Reading areas throughout school have been recently revamped and restocked with new books and have been designed to encourage the children to read independently. Our reading areas are now eye-catching and engaging and continue to be monitored by the English Lead.
Our library has recently been completely restocked and Y6 children help to run this every lunchtime. The reading environment in the library is now engaging and children enjoy choosing books and taking these home.
Children have opportunities to take part in author visits both in person and online, have visits from staff from the local library/local bookshop, have access to the book bus, take part in Stockton Children’s Book of the Year (Y6), attend book fairs, celebrate World Book Day and are encouraged to take part in a variety of reading challenges during the holidays.
- Children have opportunities to take part in author visits both in person and online, have visits from staff from the local library/local bookshop, have access to the book bus, take part in Stockton Children’s Book of the Year (Y6), attend book fairs, celebrate World Book Day and are encouraged to take part in a variety of reading challenges during the holidays.
- Each week one child from each class receives a bookworm of the week certificate to reward different aspects of their reading e.g. reading regularly at home, their engagement in Guided Reading activities, using research skills at home or in school to further their understanding and knowledge.
- We gift books at Christmas and as prizes for our Golden Draw to show children how much we value books and reading.
- Each classroom has a reading basket which includes specific books designated for that particular age group. This forms our spine of books which is progressive throughout the school and which provides children with a range of books including non-fiction, poetry, fiction and books about different cultures. Outside each classroom, teachers display the books currently being read and books which have been read, including quotes from children about them.
- There are a range of books displayed around school and children are encouraged to complete book reviews and discuss books with their peers, making recommendations where appropriate. As well as this, there are reading quotes displayed all over the school, encouraging children to pick up books and enjoy their reading.
- We have recently engaged in the Coram Beanstalk programme which involves giving support to children who find reading difficult or who do not often read at home and to promote a genuine love of reading. This programme is designed to help these children to see themselves as readers and to actively participate in the reading process, ultimately leading to a love of books.
- We have recently purchased the Boomreader programme which enables parents and teachers to communicate electronically about the reading habits/progress of their children. This is currently being trialled with EY and KS1 pupils.
- We have engaged in partnerships with other schools, particularly when implementing our recently purchased Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised programme. This has involved staff visiting other schools as well as receiving visitors here and this has led to a better understanding of the programme and ideas being shared.
- We constantly inform our parents/carers about how they can help their children with reading in a range of ways: by sending home questions on bookmarks with each child and encouraging parents to use these when reading with their children; sharing posts on social media, informing parents about latest research; inviting them to attend parental workshops and sending home book chests in KS1
- We encourage our children to discuss books and take onboard their pupil voice when choosing books for the classroom and libraries. Children choose to read and love talking about books with adults.
