Here at St Margaret’s we encourage students not only to read around their subject area, but also to read for pleasure. All students can borrow from a vast collection of books in the Resource Centre. Our Reading Surveys suggest that the majority of students enjoy reading and they are actively encouraged by our Reading Advocate, Miss S Haworth, Resource Centre Manager, to recommend books they would like to read. We also have an Author of the Month in the Resource Centre which has proved a popular initiative. In addition, we have produced tips for parents to encourage their children to read at home and recommended some useful websites.
Reading Survey and Websites
We have just carried out a reading survey amongst our new Year 7 students. Here are some of the things the students have said about reading for pleasure:
- “There are so many interesting books around, so I buy and read them”
- “It’s fun”
- (I read) because I like getting lost in a book”
- “Because reading transfers me to other worlds and feeds my imagination”
- “It is enjoyable when you clear your mind and think about the fictional story of someone else’s life”
To encourage your children to read for pleasure here are some useful websites:
www.oxfordowl.co.uk
Includes recommendations of books for boys. Information about encouraging boys to read.
www.literacylaunchpad.blogspot.co.uk
20 sites and tools to encourage lifelong reading
www.booksforkeeps.co.uk
Book recommendations
www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk
Students can nominate up to 2 titles for these prestigious children’s awards