The will to read influences the skill and vice versa (OECD, 2010).
If you want to enrich your school’s practice, make stronger links with parents around reading and ensure all staff are well positioned to nurture life-long readers, then make use of this research-informed site.
It is based upon the OU/UKLA Teachers as Readers research project which, undertaken in 5 Local Authorities across England, influenced both policy and practice and revealed key elements which enable teachers to build interactive reading communities.
You could invite staff to review their practice, undertake a children’s survey to ascertain their views and make use of the document School Development Strategies as it offers ways forward for the whole staff.
In this short film researcher Professor Teresa Cremin discusses the research findings and the web site.
Download this form as a PDF
This self‐review document is designed to help you consider your practice with regard to reading for pleasure. It is organised around key themes which, research evidence indicates, influence teachers’ capacity to effectively develop children’s engagement as readers‐ readers who like reading, who chose to read and who want to talk about what they are reading with interested others.
A: Teachers’ knowledge of children’s literature
Name three authors whose work you value
Name three picture fiction creators whose work you value
Name three poets whose work you value
B: Children’s reading practices
List three different readers in your class
Rate your knowledge of their reading habits and preferences in school
1
2
3
4
5
6
Rate your knowledge of their reading habits and preferences out‐of‐ school
1
2
3
4
5
6
How do you find out about children’s attitudes to reading, in your class and school?
C: Reading for pleasure pedagogy
Independent reading time
How frequently do you set aside time for children to read independently?
Daily
Weekly
Occasionally (ad hoc)
Never
On a scale of 1‐6 how often do children in your class choose what they are reading?
1
2
3
4
5
6
On a scale of 1‐6 how often do you encourage children to talk about texts during independent reading?
1
2
3
4
5
6
Reading aloud
How often do you read aloud stories/other texts to your class?
Daily
Weekly
Occasionally (ad hoc)
Never
Who chooses what you read aloud?
You always
You mostly and occasionally the children □
You share choices and decide with the children
Social reading environments
Think of your classroom, what three key messages does your environment convey about reading?
How often do the children use and interact with your classroom reading environment?
Regularly
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Rate your knowledge about the children’s reading networks/reader relationships, who they like to read/talk with about reading?
1
2
3
4
5
6
Informal book talk
How often do you informally talk about books‐ that are not being studied in literacy or guided reading sessions‐ with your class?
Regularly
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
How often do you provide opportunities for children to talk informally about their reading and their preferences as readers?
Regularly
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
How often do you make specific tailored recommendations to children?
Regularly
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
D: Reading teachers – teachers who read and readers who teach
How do you think the children in your class view you as a reader?
How often do you discuss what are you reading (children or adult texts) with other teachers /adults in the school?
Regularly
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
E: Reading communities
How frequently are parents/carers members of the community invited you’re your school to read with/to children and share their reading lives/ journey
Regularly
Sometimes
Rarely
Never
Rate the strength of the home‐school reading community in your school
Rate the strength of the reading community in your class
Looking back across this survey, which area do you feel is strongest area supporting childrens reading for pleasure?
Which area would you most like to develop?