Reading for Pleasure
At St Michael’s we believe that reading for pleasure is the entitlement of every child and we aim to work with you in order to help children to develop and maintain a positive attitude towards reading. Reading is not just something that children should do in school; it needs to be an everyday part of their lives, something they choose to do because of the pleasure it gives. Much research suggests that reading for pleasure not only has educational benefits but also develops general knowledge, a better understanding of other cultures, social skills and decision making.
This page will provide some tips to help you develop ‘reading for pleasure’ at home.
There are also useful links to websites that can provide you with free resources and suggest suitable and inspiring books for your children, as well as a space to read and post book recommendations within our school community.
Tips to help motivate and engage children at home:
- Read with your child as much as you can (this should be them reading to you and you reading to them, regardless of age)
- Provide a range of interesting reading material for your child which includes audio books
- Discuss what you have read
- Take your child to your local library to choose books
- Have a specific ‘reading time’ in your house when all family members read
Click here for more information about supporting your child's reading at home.
To view a full screen version of book recommendations, please click here
Websites and links for book recommendations:
- The Booktrust are a charity that provide extensive book lists as well as recommending new books, "if you like this then read..." suggestions and booklists for specific ages.
- Books for Topics provide extensive booklists for each year group as well as books that link to specific interests and topics
- School Reading List provide year group specific lists from reception right through to year 9, as well as compiling lists of new books and links to other useful websites and resources.
- LoveReading4Kids provides comprehensive lists for different age ranges and genres, as well as lists for recent books awards. It also has a great kids zone (you do need to sign up for a free account for this site).
Guidance for promoting reading for pleasure at home: