Reading Lists
Reading is a hugely beneficial activity for young people. Readers explore ideas they have never considered and they discover language being used in new and innovative ways.
Young people who read regularly develop the skills they need to succeed across the curriculum and to access the world around them, while their peers who do not read regularly become weaker readers with each subsequent year.
As a result, all Richard Hale School students are encouraged to read widely and regularly outside of the classroom. The reading lists below are a good place to start in order to find good, enjoyable books to read:
What can I do at home to support my child’s reading?
- Create a reading environment at home: ensure your child has access to books and sees you reading. This will help them realise that reading is a normal thing to do!
- Talk about books: what are you reading and how are you enjoying it? Sharing this with your child, and asking them about their reading, may encourage them to read more regularly.
- Help your child find the definitions of complex vocabulary: help your child use a dictionary or the Internet to find definitions of words they don’t understand. If they see you doing this too it will help them understand that we all encounter words we don’t know, and it’s just good sense to find out what they mean.
- Never use reading as a punishment: reading is an enjoyable activity and children learn to dislike it if they are only encouraged to pick up a book when the iPad has been banned. Make reading part of what you do regularly in your house to avoid loading it with negative connotations.