Reading for purpose and pleasure
Reading is something we value greatly and put at the center of everything we do at HDHS. For many reasons students often choose to opt out of reading. At HDHS we are trying to change that mindset and we are developing a culture of reading at our school. The research shows that students who read on average twenty minutes a day are far more successful than students who read less than twenty minutes a day or don’t read. See the posters below on ‘The Twenty’:
Please participate in encouraging students to get their ‘Twenty’ every day. This does not have to be twenty minutes of consecutive reading but at least twenty minutes in total of reading every day. In the same way that people talk about getting their ‘Five a Day’ or how many ‘Steps’ they achieved, we want parents, teachers and most importantly students, openly and regularly discussing their ‘Twenty’.
As a school:
- Students are given an opportunity to independently read for at least five minutes in every lesson throughout the day
- Homework is often related to reading
- All Year 7 and Year 8 students are expected to have reading material on them at all times as part of their expected reading and to read at any available opportunity. An example of this is that students read in assembly while waiting for it to commence. Every opportunity is taken to achieve ‘The Twenty’.
There will be lots of initiatives throughout the year to promote the value of reading and develop a culture of reading at HDHS. We appreciate any suggestions or ideas you have to support the work we are doing. There are two major strands to our reading school:
- Reading for purpose- we read to get information and learn more.
- Reading for pleasure- we read to escape, hide from the world,enjoy the world, feel an array of emotions, be imaginative……….
Any questions, suggestions, or ideas, please contact me by email at Raymond.Gallagher@hdhs..school
Assistant Headteacher
Teaching and Learning: Approaches to reading for purpose in the classroom
In a lesson there are three stages to reading:
- Pre-Reading
- Active Reading
- Post- Reading
There needs to be 3 stages to reading:
Pre-Reading – Prepare the student to be successful in their reading. What knowledge does the student need to have in order to access the text?
Active(in class) Reading – Create purposeful learning conditions and expectations to facilitate success.
Post Reading – What happens after the reading?
HDHS is A Reading School Handbook
This handbook is an overview of HDHS reading policy, ethos and strategies to create and embed a reading culture that supports and challenges HDHS students to reach their full potential as learners.
HDHS Tutor SPaG Time
Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar is an essential part of literacy. HDHS SPaG time during tutor time once a week is an opportunity for students to engage with, reflect on and develop SPaG in a fun and memorable way.
Click here for further details: HDHS Tutor SPaG Time
Reading During School Closures
HDHS Guide to support reading during school closure