The ability to read well is a fundamental life skill. At Redmoor, we support your child’s reading development each and every day, but we need your full support and encouragement at home too.
Encouraging your child to read (or reading to your child, even at secondary school level) for at least 20 minutes every day, will greatly improve their reading age and make it easier for them to access the secondary school curriculum. Reading is a really simple thing to do that has great impact on your child’s academic success, emotional wellbeing and adult life.
Research from the Department for Education and National Literacy Trust shows that:
- regular reading increases students’ text comprehension, grammar, vocabulary and general knowledge, which means they can better access the curriculum and, beyond school, go on to fully participate in society and the workplace
- those who read for pleasure tend to have higher levels of self-esteem and a greater ability to cope with difficult situations
- regular reading is associated with better sleep patterns
- children and young people who like to read are three times more likely to have better mental health than those who don’t
- Frequent reading strongly correlates with attainment. Researchers found that of students who read every day, 96 % of them were at or above their expected attainment level. Worryingly, of the students who never read, 36% were below their expected attainment level.
“Reading a minimum of 20 minutes a day allows children's vocabulary to grow and expand, exposing them to 1.8 million vocabulary words a year.” -Elizabeth Barnes, Children's Reading Foundation
How We Promote Reading at Redmoor
Through the Curriculum
Reading is firmly embedded in the curriculum for each subject. Redmoor students are exposed to a wide range of texts on a daily basis, both in the classroom and through homework.
Year 7 and 8 at Redmoor have Literacy lessons dedicated to oracy, comprehension and reading. These lessons provide students with skills that underpin excellent literacy across the wider curriculum. These lessons promote a love of reading for pleasure. Each lesson, students are given the opportunity to read a chosen novel as a class, listen to engaging excerpts and participate in high quality discussions about the literature they read.
Tutor Time Reading
All tutor groups have one morning registration dedicated to reading each week. Key Stage 3 students read a ‘Page Turner’ and Key Stage 4 have Reading Aloud. Both are twenty minute activities where the tutor reads aloud from texts including novels, poetry, articles and more. Page Turners and Reading Aloud sessions aim to develop the joy of simply being read to, whilst bonding as a tutor group over some great texts for teenagers.
Redmoor’s Library
Our library is a vibrant place open to all students, it is managed by our expert librarian, Mrs Moore, who is always available to recommend the latest reads or modern classics. Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 have allocated opening times meaning that all students can benefit from the space. The library is calm and productive environment where students can come to independently study, complete homework, or just to relax with a good book.
We have a very well-stocked library crammed with popular children’s authors and titles, meeting the interests of all students. There are contemporary titles and classics alike, spanning fiction genres such as Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Humour, Horror, and War. Graphic novels are also available, featuring the Heartstopper series, Black Butler, Darren Shan and a selection of Classics retold in graphic form. Biographies of various celebrities, including inspiring icons of the past and present, as well as sporting heroes, can be loaned for students who enjoy non-fiction. Additionally, our ‘shelf help’ section comprises various books to provide support with exam stress, anxiety, self esteem and other issues that our students may face through their adolescence.
Revision guides are also available for Key Stage 4 students to use in the library during opening times to aid with revision and homework.
Book Club
An after school book club is held once a week with our Librarian, giving students extra opportunities to practise reading for pleasure and develop friendships with their peers. During this time, we discuss the themes and plot points of pre-chosen texts, read together, drink tea and eat biscuits, all whilst relaxing on the library’s beanbags.
Newcomers are always welcome. Please see Mrs Moore in the library for more information on how to join.
Tips for Reading Routines at Home
Make Time to Read
As mentioned, a minimum of 20 minutes of reading a day has enormous benefits for your child. Talking to your child about what they are reading helps to build reading motivation. Your interest will spark their interest, and conversation with you will help them articulate their thoughts, extend their vocabulary, and strengthen their understanding of what they’ve read. Remember that reading doesn’t always have to involve books: magazines, instruction manuals, recipes, and so on all help to build up stamina, understanding, and fluency.
As well as discussing your child’s reading, it can be really useful to take some time out to talk to them about the books you’re reading or even read to them! Research shows that parents often stop reading to their children in the primary years, but there are great benefits to modelling good reading habits at home.
Not sure where to start? We provide recommended reading lists for Key Stage 3 and 4 students and review them annually. The vast majority of these books can be found in the school library. You can use our guidance to help recommend books for your child to read at home.
Here is the link to the KS3 and KS4 Reading Lists for Redmoor students. This can also be found on the Redmoor website under ‘Library Information’. Click here to access the reading list:
KS3 Recommended Reading List 2022-23
KS4 Recommended Reading List 2022-23
The following link contains a list of books available in the library that are published by Barrington Stoke who design their books to be Dyslexia friendly. These books are also ideal for reluctant readers or students who benefit from shorter chapters and prefer to read in short bursts: Dyslexia Friendly Titles
For any questions or further information regarding choosing books with your child, please email Mrs Moore - our Librarian.
Take Part in Our Summer Reading Challenge
Our librarian has devised a Summer Reading Challenge to encourage students to continue to read throughout the 6 weeks’ break. There are various challenges to complete, such as reading outside, or reading an author that they’ve not read before. All completed challenges earn students house points, with a total of 60 house points up for grabs! Click the link for more information: