Reading

"I didn’t want to read but the school has made me want to."

Year 6 pupil

 Our whole school reading approach is to encourage a love of reading for pleasure and to increase fluency and confidence. We have a number of approaches in place for this year.

Some of our strategies are included below:

Whole School Reading Approaches 

Accelerated Reader and MyOn

All pupils at Leighton Middle have access to Accelerated Reader and MyOn to support their reading. Accelerated Reader is a reading system that enables us to closely monitor their reading age and ability. This is used alongside MyOn, which is an online library of books that can recommend books to pupils based on their reading ability. Years 5, 6 and 7 have a weekly Accelerated Reader lesson in the library as part of their English lessons and Year 8 have theirs fortnightly. During this lesson, they can read online using MyOn; read a physical copy of a book or they may be heard reading aloud by an adult.

All children are assigned a ‘ZPD’ by Accelerated Reader which then allows them to choose books that aren’t too easy, but do offer some level of challenge to help improve their reading. The vast majority of the books in our school library are labelled with Accelerated Reader codes to help them when choosing a book to read. Once a pupil has read a book, they can complete a quiz on the book they have read which will focus on assessing both their word reading and comprehension of the book. Once the quiz is completed, pupils are then free to read another book within their ZPD. Children can read books on electronic devices if they prefer as they can still quiz provided the book is on Accelerated Reader.

Since launching Accelerated Reader in September 2022, our pupils have spent over 800 hours reading on MyOn and have read a combined total of over 28 million words!

To find out more information about how Accelerated Reader and MyOn work and how to support your child, please see the LMS Guide to Accelerated Reader here.

In afternoon registrations, on a Monday and Tuesday, all pupils are read aloud to by their form tutors. All tutor groups are reading whole books which have been voted for through pupil voice and give pupils to listen to a whole text, immerse themselves in text and foster a love of reading.

Reading for pleasure - afternoon reading by the Form Tutor

 RATIONALE

Reading for pleasure comes with HUGE benefits for pupils!  

• Reading enjoyment has been reported as more important for children’s educational success than their family’s socio-economic status
• There is a positive link between positive attitudes towards reading and scoring well on reading assessments  
• Evidence suggests that reading for pleasure is an activity that has emotional and social benefits
• Other benefits of reading for pleasure include positive reading attitudes, pleasure in reading in later life, and increased general knowledge  

Year 8 Voted afternoon reading book

Alex has worked out a foolproof way to avoid being picked on. Don't React. It's so simple, it's brilliant! David does react and becomes an outcast, nicknamed Bogsy. He's branded a weirdo and Alex is determined to avoid the same fate. But one day, Alex gets a note in his bag that forces him out of his safe little world. Who sent the note? And is it true - will a boy really fly?

A powerful story about friendship, loneliness and a strange kind of genius.

British Value links:

Mutual Respect - 

• The novel explores the impact of bullying, exclusion and friendship, encouraging pupils to value kindness, empathy and respect for others. Through Alex's experiences, students learn the importance of accepting differences, standing up against prejudice and building inclusive relationships.

Year 7 Voted afternoon reading book

If you could see with your eyes closed . . . Would you use your power for good or for personal gain? That's what Henry has to decide in “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar", one of the seven short stories in this extraordinary collection. A giant turtle and a very special boy who can talk to animals, a cunning hitchhiker and the curious driver who picks him up, and a very lucky plowman who finds a fabulous fortune but loses a golden opportunity are only a few of the characters you'll meet.

A clever mix of fact and fiction, this collection also includes the story of how master storyteller Roald Dahl became a writer (and a wealth of tips for aspiring authors). With Roald Dahl, you can never be sure where reality ends and fantasy begins.

A clever mix of fact and fiction, this collection also includes the story of how master storyteller Roald Dahl became a writer (and a wealth of tips for aspiring authors). With Roald Dahl, you can never be sure where reality ends and fantasy begins

Year 6 Voted afternoon reading book

British Value links:

• Acceptance of how others are different from us. Belonging.

Rule of Law -

• Building a happy and safe environment to live in. How the law protects us/consequences of breaking the law. 

Year 5 Voted afternoon reading book

British Value links:

 Individual Liberty -

• Jack is faced with decision making and mystery throughout the book, shaping him as an individual. The story is humorous and whimsical but also explores the notion of dealing with loss and grief closely linked with SMSC and through Jack’s emotional roller coaster he is able to develop a strong sense of self and understand the world around him.