Reading for pleasure
‘Imagine a primary school where, over seven or eight years, children are read to, enjoy, discuss and work with a core of around 80 books.’
Pie Corbett (Literacy expert)
At Walton Primary Academy, we highly value reading for pleasure and we work hard as a school to grow our reading for pleasure pedagogy. To develop our children’s reading for pleasure in school:
- Each phase has their own reading for pleasure reading spine. A reading for pleasure spine is a core set of books that create a living library inside a child’s mind. It is a store of classics and essential reads that help children engage at a deeper level and enter the world of the story. At Walton, our reading spines have been developed so that children are exposed to a wide range of genres, authors and text types. The books have been carefully chosen and categorised under seven different headings. These are, emotional well-being and empathy, events, diversity, non-linear, poetry, archaic texts, and key authors. Within each class there is a copy of each of the core texts listed on the reading for pleasure spine and these are for the teachers to share with the children as part of story time. The children are also welcome to borrow these to read within the classroom.
- We read to children every day. We choose these books carefully as we want children to experience a wide range of books, including books that reflect the children at Walton Primary Academy and our local community as well as books that open windows into other worlds and cultures. We also choose our books carefully to ensure that our pupils are being exposed to ambitious and unfamiliar vocabulary. We think it is important that children not only choose books to read independently but also that adults share books every day with their classes to expose the children to a broader range of texts and authors which they otherwise might not choose themselves. When inspired by others, children are more likely to further develop their own reading for pleasure.
- Every classroom has an inviting book corner that encourages a love for reading. We curate these books and talk about them to entice children to read a wide range of books.
- In Nursery/Reception, children have access to the reading corner every day in their free flow time and the books are continually refreshed.
- Children from Nursery/Reception onwards have a home reading record. The parent/carer records comments to share with the adults in school and the adults will write in this on a regular basis to ensure communication between home and school.
- As the children progress through the school, they are encouraged to write their own comments and keep a list of the books/authors that they have read.
- Each class visits the local library at least once every term.
- Children across the school have regular opportunities to engage with a wide range of Reading for Pleasure events (book fairs, author visits and workshops, national events etc).
- We are currently in the process of creating our own ‘Walton Primary School Library’ where children will be able to choose their own books from a wide range of age appropriate genres and authors to take home and read.
Reading curriculum
‘It is essential that, by the end of their primary education, all pupils are able to read fluently, and with confidence, in any subject.’ – National Curriculum 2014.
At Walton Primary Academy, we have worked hard to carefully-design and develop a progressive reading curriculum to ensure that all children access a broad range of rich texts throughout their time at school. These spines underpin key texts for each half term which will be used to drive reading and writing lessons. The books consist of both fiction text and non-fiction texts.
Like with our reading for pleasure spines, the texts have been chosen to reflect the topics being taught in each phase and also some of the texts are inspired by the children’s interests. Every book on our reading curriculum, has been chosen because of its rich vocabulary and high quality. We know that we will be able to use the books to inspire the children’s reading and writing. In EYFS, the texts have been chosen to match the topics being taught and will be used to further promote the children’s understanding and promote learning within the provision.