Teaching children to read, to appreciate the value of reading for pleasure, and to use reading skills in a variety of contexts is absolutely vital to us at Clore Shalom.  Research shows the importance of strong reading skills and the propensity to read for pleasure:

• Evidence suggests that there is a positive relationship between reading frequency, reading enjoyment and attainment (Clark 2011; Clark and Douglas 2011).
• Reading enjoyment has been reported as more important for children’s educational success than their family’s socio-economic status (OECD, 2002).
• Other benefits to reading for pleasure include: text comprehension and grammar, positive reading attitudes, pleasure in reading in later life, increased general knowledge (Clark and Rumbold, 2006)

Why should children read?

• Improved literacy and communication skills
• Better mental health and wellbeing
• Improved social skills
• Better job opportunities and progress in adult life
• Increase our self esteem and be more confident
• Open a door to other cultures and perspectives
• Be more creative and imaginative
• Do better at school, right across the curriculum
• Get a better night’s sleep
• Improved vocabulary

How does reading for pleasure affect academic achievement?

20  minutes of reading per day:

• 3600 minutes per school year
• 1800000 words per year
• Scores in the top 10% of standardised tests

5 minutes of reading per day:

• 900 minutes per school year
• 282 000 words per year
• Scores average 50% on standardised tests

1 minute of reading per day:

• 180 minutes per school year
• 8000 words per year
• Scores in the bottom 10% of standardised tests

Reading at Clore Shalom

You can find out how we teach children to read in the phonics part of our curriculum information.  Encouraging and celebrating reading for pleasure takes place all year.  Here are some parts of our reading year: