At Langley Mill Academy, we aim to develop a sustainable reading community throughout the whole school. We expect all staff to play a part, no matter how big or small, to increase pupils’ motivation and enthusiasm for reading, recognising the value and importance of reading for pleasure and reading for purpose:

• Reading for pleasure is the reading we do of our own free will
• Reading for purpose is the reading we do upon instruction or for research

We recognise the huge benefit that reading can have on pupils’ academic achievement, as well as on their social, emotional and personal development, regardless of their reading ability. We will actively promote reading whenever possible – for example, through displays, class discussion, reading aloud and sharing reading recommendations – to engage, challenge and inspire pupils. To achieve this we actively encourage pupils to be selective and critical in their reading habits so that they can become discerning readers and develop their reading interests

 We recognise the importance of being aware of current children’s and young adult literature and will endeavour to increase our knowledge in this area, as well as share our own experiences of reading with pupils and colleagues

Regular reading time will provide a regular opportunity for focusing on reading. To this end, all pupils will have a reading book in school with them at all times, in line with school policy

We have developed and make use of the libraries within our classrooms and central area to support the teaching and learning of pupils, encouraging them to utilise the reading resources available to them in school. We  encourage reading at home -  communicating with parents  to raise the profile of reading at every opportunity and to support their participation in their child’s development as a reader. 

Implementation

Rationale: RfP

• An important factor in developing reading for pleasure is choice; choice and interest are highly related (Schraw et al, 1998; Clark and PhythianSence, 2008)
•  
• Students with more positive attitudes towards reading are more likely to read at or above the expected level for their age (Clark 2014).
• There is a strong association between the amount of reading for pleasure students say they do and their reading achievement (Twist 2007).
• Students who read for pleasure make significantly more progress in vocabulary, spelling and maths than children who read very little (Sullivan and Brown 2013).
• Teachers who encourage students to read books of their choice for pleasure is a major contribution towards students developing a positive attitude towards reading and a life-long interest in reading. (International Reading Association, 2014).

The 100 books lists for each Year group at Langley Mill Academy can be viewed here: