In Reading Matters on the 25th April, I stated that research tells us that it is the attitude towards reading that is fostered in the home that has the biggest impact on reading for pleasure. As parents we have considerable influence over our children’s enjoyment of, and engagement with reading. Edge Grove has been recognised as offering an outstanding ‘all-round’ education with a broad curriculum that teaches children a wide range of subjects and encourages competency in multiple skills. However, we know as parents that for children to become truly proficient in an activity - playing an instrument, excelling on the sports field, developing real confidence on the stage - we have to create time and opportunity for them to consolidate and develop the learning that lessons and activities at school have given them.
When it comes to reading, the time needed to develop a deep love of books can only be found outside of school. It is those children who read regularly at home where reading for pleasure is prioritised, supported and promoted, who develop the broadest vocabularies, demonstrate excellent comprehension skills and can write with accuracy and flair. Our best writers are always our best readers.
It is our role at Edge Grove to ensure that pupils develop the skills to read fluently. Through phonics teaching, we must ensure that children are taught to decode text and read for meaning. We must read to children and read with children throughout their time at school. We must ensure they have access to books that they can borrow and read for pleasure, with school libraries which reflect their experiences and interests. As educators, we must support our pupils’ reading journeys with recommendations and model enthusiasm for reading.
So how can Reading for Pleasure be encouraged at home?
Just like sharing a film or a good meal is a pleasurable experience, sharing a book can deliver the same ‘feel-good’ emotions and improve well-being. As adults we often have special memories of sharing stories with loved ones and favourite teachers. When positive feelings are associated with an activity, children are more likely to want to engage in that activity. Having fun reading together, and not making reading into a chore, is important in encouraging reading for pleasure. Reciprocal reading with turn taking can make reading a fun joint activity.
Reading to your child helps them to hear what fluent reading sounds like. For children who find reading a challenge then reading to them allows them to enjoy stories, exposes them to new vocabulary and feeds their imaginations.
Once a child can read fluently, it is tempting as parents to stop listening to them read aloud. When reading aloud to an adult, a child develops prosody. Prosody is being able to read fluently, placing accurate stresses on particular words, using intonation and delivering an appropriate rhythm. When reading with an adult, children can also ask for help with pronunciation and word meaning. When children only read independently it is not possible to know if they are developing skills of inference that are essential for good comprehension; they also skip over the more difficult words and do not assimilate them into their vocabularies.
As parents we can model the enjoyment of reading by ensuring that our children see us read. It is particularly important that boys see men reading.
Research shows that engagement with reading improves with book choice and book ownership. Allowing children to choose their own books is key in reading for pleasure. As parents it is tempting to suggest particular titles or frown on others. Particularly with reluctant readers, allowing choice is key in developing positive reading habits and a positive attitude to reading.
In order to write non-fiction successfully, children must read non-fiction. It can be a challenge to write in a journalistic style when you have never read a newspaper report. Reading information books, magazines, encyclopaedias, newspapers is an important way to develop understanding of the different registers required for writing. There are many excellent quality magazines for children which I listed in Reading Matters in November.
When time is short, maximise opportunities to read. When travelling in the car, listen to books with an Audible subscription or a BorrowBox subscription, free through your local library. Developing a love of reading in a child can be a challenge but it will also be the one thing that has the greatest impact on their success at school. Reading is the key that unlocks the whole curriculum. I have published suggested reading for each year group on The Source which children can use to choose books. Each month, fellow educator Scott Evans produces a ‘Coming Soon’ video and if your child is looking for a new book to read, then a selection of new releases are summarised here. A recommendation from me which I am enjoying currently, for confident readers age 9+ upwards is the recently published Skandar and the Unicorn Thief by debut author AF Steadman, heralded to become as popular as Harry Potter!