Reading for Pleasure
What is reading for pleasure?
The National Library Trust (UK), defines reading for pleasure, also referred to as independent, leisure or recreational reading, as:
Reading we do of our own free will, anticipating the satisfaction we will get from the act of reading.
They add that it's also reading that may have begun at someone else’s request, which we continue because we are interested in it. Christina Clark and Kate Rumbold note that reading for pleasure can be described as an act of play, which allows us to experience different worlds in our imagination and a creative and active/ interactive process.
Aside from the sheer joy of exercising the imagination, research shows reading for pleasure improves literacy, social skills, health, and learning outcomes.
Why is reading for pleasure important?
In 2012, the Education Standards Research Team (ESARD) in the UK, compiled the Research evidence on reading for pleasure report. It found that reading for pleasure had educational benefits, supported personal development, and had a positive impact on reading including:
- reading attainment and writing ability
- text comprehension and grammar
- breadth of vocabulary
- positive reading attitudes
- self-confidence as a reader
- pleasure in reading in later life.
The Research evidence on reading for pleasure report also identified benefits in:
- increased general knowledge
- understanding of other cultures
- community participation
- insight into human nature and decision-making.
- Increased empathy and social skills
- Improved achievement in Maths, spelling, and vocabulary
- Improved health and wellbeing
Our key message on reading-If you want to succeed you need to read!
We believe that reading for pleasure is essential for success in life and we seek to provide pupils with opportunities to read widely and for pleasure through access to our library at lunchtime and after school, providing recommended reads via class charts, providing the opportunity to read various interesting extracts from a diverse range of books through our form time reading programme and through providing a huge variety of enhancement activities, events and competitions across the school year.
Across subject areas teachers have identified opportunities for ‘subject disciplinary reading’ and reading lists to signpost pupils to texts they can read in relation to that subject area that will deepen their understanding further.
Research shows that to have the greatest impact students need to read for a minimum of twenty minutes a day. We therefore encourage all our pupils to make time to read for at least twenty minutes a day! In doing this we are aiming to ensure that all of our pupils achieve ‘expert’ level reading by the end of Year 11 and demonstrate a reading age of 15-16+.
Our Form Time Reading Programme
Twice a week, pupils in all form groups will read for 30 minutes with their form tutor as part of their Life Lessons programme.
Across the year, pupils read a variety of extracts of stories from different cultures, traditions, and time periods as well as a range of non-fiction texts.
The text extracts have been carefully chosen to appeal to the interests of students, enable them to explore age-appropriate themes, and challenge them in terms of thinking. The books cover a range of literary techniques that both challenge and develop the reader. These are:
- Archaic text (historical language)
- Non-linear time sequence (manipulation of time)
- Complex narration (reading from different voices)
- Resistant text (Text to challenge)
As well as ensuring our students access interesting and entertaining fiction and non-fiction written, the form time reading programme is also designed to enhance cultural capital, and link to the wider curriculum and the ideas, themes and concepts studied in lessons.
The programme has been developed using key principles that are all based on the latest research into reading strategies:
- Each week pupils will read two different extracts with their form tutor during their Life lessons. One extract will be fiction base and the other non-fiction.
- The tutor reads to the students. This helps students to follow the text as well as modelling key aspects of reading such as pace, pausing, tone and expression. The tutor may also define tier 2 words and ask students to predict what might happen next, to summarise the story so far or ask for clarification on aspects of the text.
- All students are expected to follow the reading, line by line, by tracking with a ruler or bookmark.
- The sessions include discussion questions which pupils will reflect on using whiteboards for their own personal responses before sharing their feedback with their tutor as part of a wider form group discussion.
What can parents/carers do to support their child?
- Discuss with your child why reading is important in life and work. You could talk about how you’ve needed to read for purpose to help them to see the importance of this skill. Sharing your experiences, whilst being mindful not to add to any negative feelings, can help children to see that everyone struggles with certain things but it’s worth persevering.
- Make sure your child can access their SPARX Reading homework by ensuring that they attend homework club to do this or providing access to a device at home.
- Monitor the progress of your child with Sparx Reader- sit with them as they complete their homework and listen to them read aloud. Check that they are reading with concentration carefully and praise/reward them when they do. Help them to complete their Sparx Reader homework every week and drop an email to their tutor or English teacher if they are having any issues with accessing and completing their Sparx Reader Homework.
- Help your child to be proactive in their wider reading. For example, if they are covering World War II, explore ageappropriate texts on this through poetry, online articles or novels.
- Find a quiet space and time during the day/week where your child can regularly read alone or with you. Many students struggle to plan out their time and to balance their studying needs. Creating a schedule can help them balance studying with ‘down-time’ and reading for pleasure can be part of that.
- Take an interest in what they’re reading and studying at school by reading around topics as well so that you can engage in discussion about their texts/ areas of learning, whilst modelling an interest in reading.
How can I help my child if they are reluctant or struggling with reading?
- Discuss reading in a positive way and share your own experiences or any texts you’ve enjoyed.
- Avoid making it a chore through approaches such as ‘if you read for 15 minutes, you can…’
- Often younger children enjoy reading whilst they are still reading with their parents and their interest wanes when it becomes an independent activity and they no longer share a connection with someone over a book. Read with them or listen to audiobooks, if you don’t feel confident enough to read yourself.
- Emerging research from the National Literacy Trust shows that audiobooks could help to
increase interest in reading, as well as modelling good fluency in reading.
- Research by the National Literacy Trust showed that reading for pleasure increased during lockdown; one of the reasons students gave for this was having the time and fewer distractions. This would suggest that helping your child to balance their time and factor reading into their schedule in a quiet environment would be beneficial.
- Carefully choose texts which are appropriate for child.
- Help your child to experience feeling successful with reading.
Praise them and show interest in what they’ve read
Suggested Wider Reading for Pleasure Booklists:
Key Stage 3:
Key Stage 4: