St. Wulstan's Roman Catholic Primary
Reading for Pleasure at St. Wulstan's
Julia Donaldson Book Night
READING A RAINBOW
To encourage daily reading at St. Wulstan’s and at home, all the children take part in ‘Reading a Rainbow’. Every child has a rainbow reading record pack to promote reading enjoyment. These run alongside the daily reading diary, with a book worm for each colour of the rainbow.
Each child starts with a red sheet and when they read each day, the book worm is dated, signed and coloured in. Once a worm is complete (25 days), the child receives a button badge of that colour to wear at school and they move on to the next colour of the rainbow.
There are 25 days on each rainbow colour to complete as well as bronze, silver and gold awards. This will cover 325 days in order to reach the gold at the end of the rainbow! That reward is a lovely new book for the child to keep!
At St. Wulstan’s, we are continuing our drive to encourage more children to read for pleasure. Reading for Pleasure Policy. Research shows a positive link between reading frequency and enjoyment and educational attainment. Furthermore, reading for pleasure has positive emotional and social benefits, improves text comprehension and grammar skills and increases general knowledge. We have many initiatives that will be taking place in school to encourage reading for pleasure.
- Daily reading aloud in class from a range of texts
- St. Wulstan's Reading Army
- Our Reading Vending Machine!
- Reading assemblies
- Reading competitions
- Inspiring reading corners
- Calendar of Literary events
- Author visits
- Latest books releases and recommended reads display
- Library visits
- Reading volunteers
- Author profiles
- Reading at Home
- Book Swap
- TAKE A BOOK, LEAVE A BOOK - outside school, you will see a grey box which is starting to contain lots of books! We are inviting all members of our community to share and leave books they’ve enjoyed and take home new books for free. Please join in!
- Homework and Reading - EYFS and KS1 and Key Stage 2
- Reading at Home - how you can help your child
Reading Ambassadors
Reading is very important at St. Wulstan’s as we know that much research has shown that children who read regularly at home perform better at school. We have introduced Reading Ambassadors to provide a children’s voice in how we promote reading throughout the school. The team met today and have come up with a reading plan of action for the year.
Reading Ambassadors are chosen for their love of reading, their willingness to share this passion with others and enthusiasm to promote reading throughout the school.
Reading Ambassador Roles:
- Part of the job of the reading ambassador is to encourage others in their class to read.
- Share book reviews and recommendations with their classes.
- Complete library audits to find out what books, genres, dictionaries and thesauruses are needed to support reading.
- Help with Reading Events across the school.
- Help create displays to promote reading within school.
Reading Ambassadors have been appointed for the year and we are looking forward to working with them to get St. Wulstan’s reading!
Reading Ambassadors Action Plan 2024 - 2025
Reading Ambassadors Action Plan 2023 - 2024
Recommended Reads
Click here for a list of amazing books to read for younger children
Click here to find some fabulous book titles to read in Years 3 and 4
Click here find some of the best books to read when you are in Years 5 and 6
Things you can do at home:
To support your child in their development of reading, we recommend that you spend at least 10 minutes per day reading with your child. This can be a combination of you listening to them read their school book, them listening to you read a story book or even taking it in turns. The sharing of reading is a valuable experience for you and child as it gives you the opportunity to discuss new vocabulary as well as characters, themes and even facts that a range of books can offer.
Here are some other things you can try:
- Make books part of your family life - Always have books around do that you and your children are ready to read whenever there is a chance.
- Join your local library - Get your child a library card!
- Match their interests - Help them find the right book - it doesn't matter if it's fiction, poetry, comic books or non-fiction.
- All reading is good - Don't discount non-fiction, comics, graphic novels, magazines and leaflets. Reading is reading and it is all good.
- Get comfortable! - Snuggle up somewhere warm and cosy with your child, either in bed, on a beanbag or on the sofa.
- Ask questions - To keep them interested in the story, ask your child questions as you read such as, "What do you think will happen next?" or "Where did we get to last night? Can you remember what has happened already?"
- Read whenever you get the chance - Bring along a book or magazine for any time your child has to wait, such as at a doctor's surgery.
- Read again and again - Encourage your child to re-read favourite books and poems. Re-reading helps to build up fluency and confidence.
- Bedtime stories - Regularly read with your child or children at bedtime. It's a great way to end the day and to spend valuable time with your child.
- Rhyme and repetition - Books are great for encouraging your child and children to join in and remember the words.
Words for Life
For even more reading activites, click here to visit the Words for Life website. Here you will find activities designed for babies and for children up to the age of eleven.
Have fun! Why not bring some of the activities in to school to share with your class?
Helpful Links:
- Find out how children learn to read with phonics.
- Getting ready for reading (Ages 3-4) https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/reading/getting-ready-for-reading-ages-3-4/
- Starting to read (Ages 4-5)​​​​​​​ https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/reading/starting-to-read-ages-4-5/
- Building on reading skills (Ages 5-6)​​​​​​​ https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/reading/building-on-reading-skills-ages-5-6/
- Developing confidence as a reader (Ages 6-7)​​​​​​​ https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/reading/developing-confidence-as-a-reader-ages-6-7/
- Building independence (Ages 7-9)​​​​​​​ https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/reading/building-independence-as-a-reader-ages-7-9/
- Encouraging reading (Ages 9-11)​​​​​​​ https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/reading/building-independence-as-a-reader-ages-7-9/
Stuck for what to read?
If your child is finding it difficult to know what they want to read, here are some websites you may find helpful:
- https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/
- https://shop.scholastic.co.uk/reading-spine
- https://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/
- https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/our-recommendations/100-best-books/
- https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/our-recommendations/best-new-books/
- https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/50-books-all-kids-should-read-before-theyre-12
We greatly appreciate all the support you give in supporting and encouraging your children to read at home and we are looking forward exciting times full of reading ahead!
