Promoting Reading at St Michael’s
At St Michael’s we know how important reading is and the huge positive effect it can have on pupils’ knowledge, understanding of the world and wellbeing.
Research has found that there is a large gap in achievement between secondary school pupils who read for pleasure and those who do not (OECD 2010) and the strongest predictor of reading growth from age 10-16 is whether a child reads for pleasure (Sullivan & Brown 2013). Reading for enjoyment has in fact been reported to be more important for children’s educational success than their family’s socio-economic background (OECD 2002).
But reading is not just about pupils achieving better results. Giving pupils the tools to become better and more inspired readers, will in turn improve their creativity, emotional intelligence and compassion, as well as improving their general knowledge and awareness of other cultures and traditions.
Each term, we will be focusing on a different area of reading across the whole school, focusing on improving the students’ reading skills, helping them to access a wide range of different texts (both fiction and non-fiction) and in turn, hopefully promote a lifelong love of reading.
At home you could help by…
Being a good reading role model to your children. Let them see you reading and share your love of your favourite books with them.
Giving them access to a wide range of texts. Whether it’s a book as a birthday or Christmas present; a visit to the local library or a great bargain at a local charity shop, giving children access to a variety of different texts will open their eyes to a new world.
Making reading a priority. It could be 10 minutes before bed or a read of the newspapers on a Sunday morning. Putting time aside to read is important and eventually it will become a habit.
Encouraging and supporting them with their reading. When you see your child reading, talk to them about the book and why they like it. You may even enjoy it yourself after they’ve finished!
Creating the right environment. Make sure your child has a comfortable and quiet place to read, preferably away from screens and other distractions. Allow them easy access to different books by having a book shelf with a range of different texts for them to choose from.
Reading anything, anywhere. Remind your child that reading isn’t just about fiction. If they’re interested in a particular topic or hobby, encourage them to read texts in that area. It could be newspaper articles, film reviews, autobiographies, match reports, even menus and instructions. The more they read, the more they will improve and learn.
Below you will find our recommended reading lists for upper and lower school.