“Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of a larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation, and readers often seek their mirrors in books.”
― Rudine Sims Bishop
Reading is an essential skill for life. As a child grows up, being able to read well not only enables them to discover new facts and to learn at school, but also opens them up to a world of new ideas, stories and opportunities. As research shows children who read for pleasure will achieve more than those that don’t in later life. At Glenfall, we are committed to ensuring that all children become independent and fluent readers during their time at our school. We want our children to enjoy books as much as we do!
At Glenfall we are passionate about books and this love of reading is shared with all pupils. As you walk around the school, you are instantly struck by engaging reading displays and inviting book corners. Our library also demonstrates our commitment to reading and developing a culture of reading for pleasure.
We value the importance of ensuring that our children are exposed to a wealth of books. Therefore, we have carefully selected books that represent different abilities, cultures, beliefs, appropriate age content as well as offering challenge to readers in all year groups in both poetry, fiction and non-fiction alike. Offering a diverse reading curriculum ensures that we are supporting all our children in finding titles that they can read and connect with on some level while affirming their own cultural identifies and hopefully developing important, positive insights about others.
Reading for Pleasure
We work hard to ensure this joy of reading extends beyond the classroom and support, promote and value the contributions that parents and carers make to their child’s reading at home We invite guest parent readers into school and encourage opportunities for mixed age group reading. We have a lunchtime book club and have a group of Reading Ambassadors who can recommend books to other children.
Children are encouraged to read daily and complete their read for 15 minutes daily bookmarks. We have book token prizes to encourage reading and run a Poetry Slam competition annually. A highlight of our year is World Book Day, which we celebrate in style! Glenfall staff have been part of the Reading Teachers Reading Pupils project, allowing teachers to gain valuable professional development and pupils the chance to meet and interact with contemporary authors. We have even had Reading Therapy dogs to visit!
Progression of reading through the school
Our structured approach to reading is carefully designed to ensure the best results for our children. As the children move through the infants, phonics remains a high priority and is taught daily. Children work through our fully decodable reading scheme and read frequently with an adult in school. As their reading progresses, we work on developing a pupil’s vocabulary and comprehension skills through structured through whole class guided reading sessions.
In Key Stage 2 reading sessions focus on higher order reading skills and the development of vocabulary. Reading is taught through whole class sessions using high quality novels combined with non-fiction, poetry and playscripts. The class novels have all been chosen for their high quality and high interest to a range of readers. The fact that the class teacher is reading it to them means that even the lowest 20% of each class is whisked away and immersed in the stories between the pages. The bottom 20% of readers are also supported through daily reading, comprehension work and additional phonics.
These websites below have book recommendations and free e-books! Please take a look.
https://www.thereaderteacher.com/
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/free-ebooks/