Reading for Enjoyment

As part of a curriculum review project, the staff at Bishop Perrin School decided to develop a more thematic, cross-curricular approach to Literacy and to explore a variety of ways in which to raise the profile of reading across the school.

Curriculum

• As the curriculum was developed into themes, each theme was assigned a high quality key text, to which much of the Literacy teaching for that unit was linked. Books and authors were selected carefully, ensuring a variety of text types and authors were read across the key stages.
• Guided reading was made compulsory in every year group from Year 1 – Year 6. Teachers and Teaching Assistants were directed to have read with every group by the end of the week, ensuring that every child had at least two adult directed, focussed reading sessions each week. New sets of guided reading books were bought, with careful consideration given to linking the books to the themes / text types being taught. In KS1, books were purchased to directly support the application of phonics skills.
• Each class was named after an author or poet and the children started the school year learning about this author/poet and reading their books / poems.
• Attractive reading displays feature in each classroom and a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction books are easily accessible to children in the classroom.

Library

• We continue to develop our library, with a focus on providing good quality texts, in good condition. Library monitors are selected and are encouraged to run the library under the watchful eye of the school librarian. The library is open at lunchtimes for children to visit and each class has a scheduled library visit each week.
• Classes in EYFS and KS1 have their own book corners, which are attractively displayed and they can borrow books from there. KS2 classrooms have books on display linked to their theme, but are encouraged to get their reading book from the library. The purpose behind this, was we found many children did not have a ‘reading book’ and each day were just selecting a different book off the shelf to read during reading time in class, and were not reading a book fully from beginning to end. Additionally, all children’s reading books are to be fiction books, to encourage commitment and perseverance with reading.

Parental Support

• Workshops and information leaflets were provided for parents with guidance and advice for supporting their child with reading.
• The homework policy was updated to encourage the children to read every night, but for shorter periods of time, to ensure daily reading sessions.
• To encourage regular home-reading, an ‘Ice-cream Challenge’ was set up – children accumulate points during the term for every reading they do at home, and the points go towards building an ice-cream sundae to be enjoyed on the last day of term.

Extra-curricular

• World Book Day is celebrated using a number of initiatives, including children dressing as book characters, authors / poet workshops, photograph competitions (Who can take a photograph of themselves reading in the most unusual place?),  teacher story-telling sessions and paired reading between KS1 and KS2 classes.
• We adapted our Book Fair to suit the needs of our school. Rather than run a Book Fair on behalf of a commercial company, we asked children to donate all their old (but good condition) books and we held a second-hand book sale in school with all profits going to the school library. All children who donated books received vouchers to spend at the fair.
•  We held a ‘Great Book Exchange’ – children donated a book and took a book from the exchange. No money was raised, but all children went home with a ‘new’ book.
• We encourage the children to take part in Literacy events such as the Story-telling Festival, Lights! Camera! Action film competition, Dreams 2012 poetry competition.
• A Book Club for staff has been established.