At Sweyne Park School we believe that reading is at the heart of education. It is the building block of knowledge and the door which opens opportunities for success.
It is critical that every child, not just those within our walls, is able to read with confidence, can understand what they read and interpret the information which is presented.
To achieve this, we all need to work together: school, pupils and families. At Sweyne Park School, reading is everyone’s responsibility!
School starts the intervention process quickly, using the information we receive from your child’s primary school, along with our assessment measures, to quickly identify pupils who will benefit from further support as soon as your child joins us in Year 7.
We use a triage system to identify the right intervention for your child, whereby pupils who need additional support with phonics can be supported by trained staff. In addition, pupils who need more opportunities to improve their comprehension will have access to Lexia (a specialist computer programme), along with reading to an adult or to an older student to improve their fluency.
In addition, pupils who need more opportunities to improve their comprehension will have access to Lexia (a specialist computer programme), along with reading to an adult or to an older student to improve their fluency.
In terms of our curriculum, one tutor session a week is dedicated to reading, whereby teachers model good reading. Alongside this, there are timetabled Literacy lessons in Year 7, 8 and 9.
To further support the work in Literacy lessons, pupils have access to Sparx Reader which enables them to improve their reading, vocabulary and comprehension skills further. In lessons, across all subjects, pupils are introduced to new vocabulary and key terms.
We use the Frayer model to do this, helping pupils to understand the roots of words, along with definitions, examples and tackling misconceptions about the word.
Departments have also produced Guided Reading resources to support pupils’ comprehension skills through reciprocal reading techniques and questioning.
We use the latest research from the Education Endowment Foundation, along with recommendations from Ofsted and the Department for Education, to ensure that our staff are up to date with best practice and that our approach to reading is reviewed and updated accordingly, to ensure that no child is left behind.
Pupils are encouraged to read every day. Whether in school or at home, reading is promoted and rewarded at Sweyne Park School. Our library is well-resourced and pupils have access to literary classics, as well as to new and exciting authors. The Book Club is very popular at KS3 and our librarian often arranges special author visits for Year groups.
In Year 7, pupils have an introductory lesson to the library, which is open before and after school each day, encouraging pupils to find their next read, as well as to give them another space to complete homework. Each pupil receives a free reading book in Year 7 to encourage reading during the transition period from primary school to secondary school.
We happily reward our most enthusiastic readers; rewards include our reading reward card, whereby pupils can earn themselves a free hot chocolate or dessert from the canteen!
Families play a vital role in supporting reading. We understand that parents and carers lead busy lives, and that everyone has their own and different relationship with reading. However, by ensuring that your child has a quiet and dedicated space for learning at home, as well talking to your child about what they might be reading or learning about in school, families can help to increase pupil motivation.
There are also podcasts which help families to schedule reading as part of their routine at home.
Research has shown that just 20 minutes of reading a day can have a huge impact on children’s academic progress, as well as increasing their cultural capital. Families may wish to explore the following links for ideas and resources.
National Literacy Trust | UK Literacy Charity
How to keep teenage boys reading | BookTrust
Advice for parents to encourage children and teens reading – Scottish Book Trust
The benefits of reading are enormous! We know that screens are very tempting for us all, but if your child could find just a short period of time in the day for reading, they will reap the rewards:
Reading increases vocabulary and helps to improve communication skills.
By reading more, our vocabulary increases. Having a more varied range of words to express how we feel and get our point across allows us to become clear communicators, which will help us in our personal and professional lives.
Reading makes us better spellers and writers.
Reading exposes us to other styles, other voices, other forms and genres of writing. Importantly, it exposes us to writing that is better than our own, helping us to improve our own writing style.
Reading improves focus and concentration.
Sitting down with a book often involves long periods of focus and concentration, which at first is challenging to do. In fact, it’s probably one of the main reasons that we choose not to read in the first place. However, focus and concentration is important for exam success and in fostering independence, not only for school but for work, also.
Reading improves imagination.
Our ability to imagine impacts everything we do, think about and create. We are only limited by what we can imagine. The worlds described in books, as well as other people’s views and opinions, help us to expand our understanding of what is possible and makes us aspirational.
Reading reduces stress.
The modern world can be very stressful, with everyone facing pressure in various forms and at various times. Studies show that reading actually helps to reduce stress. Taking a moment out of our busy schedule to read and enter the realms of escapism, has been proven to slow down heart rate and ease tension in muscles.
Reading improves memory.
Reading gives us a unique pause button for comprehension and insight. When we read, we have more time to think and contemplate, improving our memory.
Reading leads to academic success.
When we read, we often don’t even realise how much knowledge we are actually taking in. It’s no surprise to learn that books at home have been strongly linked to academic achievement when we consider all the skills reading helps to develop and improve.
Reading increases capacity for empathy.
Reading fiction has been shown to develop empathy by increasing our knowledge of others’ lives and experiences, helping us to recognise our similarity to them; it has the power to disrupt our stereotypes, making us contemplate and often reassess our position on a particular subject.
Reading is entertaining.
Although mentioned last, this is probably one of the most important reasons for reading. If reading wasn’t entertaining, then it would simply be a chore.
Click here to learn more about Sparx Reader.