WHOLE SCHOOL READING
“The school’s focus on reading is having a positive impact. Leaders have developed strategies to improve pupils’ reading skills.” Ofsted Report - September 2022
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Every young person deserves access to an outstanding education. One that challenges, inspires, and grows them as individuals. One that nurtures a love of learning and empowers students to achieve their best. At Thomas Aveling School we ensure all students have the tools to be fully equipped for their future lives. We aim to create independent, creative, and confident individuals by focusing on key literacy skills in reading and writing to prepare our students, ready for the world ahead, and resilient to the challenges they face.
Our aim is to close the reading and writing gap.
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“Reading is important. If you know how to read, then the whole world opens up to you.” Barack Obama
PARENTS’ ROLE
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Use the basic reading strategies below:
Listen to your child read the books they bring home from school.
Pause, Prompt and Praise:
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PAUSE to help them work out the new words.
PROMPT by using letter names and their sounds.
PRAISE them for trying whether they are right or wrong.
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It is important to use as many clues as possible to help your child when they encounter difficulty.
Make reading a regular routine at home.
FURTHER STRATEGIES
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Top tips to support reading at home - www.readingmatters.co.uk
“Books are uniquely portable magic.” Stephen King
STUDENTS’ READING RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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Children have the basic human right to read.
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Children have the right to access texts in print and digital formats.
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Children have the right to choose what they read.
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Children have the right to read texts that mirror their experiences and languages, provide windows into the lives of others, and open doors into our diverse world.
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Children have the right to read for pleasure.
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Children have the right to supportive reading environments with knowledgeable literacy partners.
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Children have the right to extended time set aside for reading.
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Children have the right to share what they learn through reading by collaborating with others locally and globally.
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Children have the right to read as a springboard for other forms of communication, such as writing, speaking, and visually representing.
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Children have the right to benefit from the financial and material resources of governments, agencies, and organizations that support reading and reading instruction.
THOMAS AVELING SCHOOL’S INTERVENTIONS
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Embed key literacy strategies in a robust, consistent approach across all subjects at Thomas Aveling School.
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Use subject specific vocabulary in lessons to enhance and promote students’ literacy levels.
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Support students through scaffolding.
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Challenge students to decode and process texts.
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Reading for pleasure takes place during form time with the Reading Ambassadors to develop a love for reading.
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Competitions are undertaken throughout the year to promote and motivate students to read regularly.
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Trips to the theatre, museum, university, etc. are part of our enrichment to build the students’ cultural experiences.
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Author visits support our students through the numerous workshops and discussions to encourage them to achieve more.
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Literacy merits and postcards promote a positive reading ethos through our rewards system.
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Using Accelerated Reader and Lexplore to give students significantly greater choices in levelled books and quizzes, and immediate feedback on their reading skills progress.
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Parent drop-in clinic for reading – guidance available to advise and support parents help their children at home.
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“I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book.” J.K. Rowling
READING LISTS
Reading for pleasure improves writing and comprehension skills and has been proven to help performance in exams as well as being a lifelong source of enjoyment. The list is not intended to be prescriptive, and you may choose other books under the guidance of your teachers, but it is hoped you will pick writers who are challenging and who will expand your experience, understanding and enjoyment of the written word.
