At Somervale School we believe reading is the foundation of all learning and have embedded a thriving reading culture, in which a love of reading is encouraged, fostered and nurtured. We support, motivate and challenge students to read on a daily basis and our students understand that independent reading is central to their academic success.
Our vision is that all students are reading at, or exceeding their chronological age by the end of KS3 so that they can achieve their full potential at KS4. We use a wide range of reading strategies across the curriculum so that our students can process information effectively, think critically and have access to a larger and more extensive vocabulary. We believe that strong readers develop imagination, creativity, empathy and gain a greater understanding of the world around them.
We are dedicated to ensuring that every student reads on a daily basis. Daily engagement with diverse texts is fundamental to academic success and a wider knowledge of the world.
Each day during tutor time our students take part in our Reading for Knowledge programme where they read together and discuss articles about culture, society and current affairs from The Day website. This allows them to engage with the world around them and exposes them to non fiction text types and a wide range of vocabulary.
In English lessons, students at KS3 have fortnightly library reading lessons where they have access to the Accelerated Reader programme. This includes regular quizzing to test comprehension and STAR testing to identify their strengths and weaknesses. The STAR test also enables students to choose texts within their reading level, ensuring they are always challenged. From this data, their English teacher identifies a personal reading pathway for each student (green, amber or red) which allows them to work through a range of reading tasks within the lesson to develop their reading skills. Students who are reading below their chronological age also have access to MyLexia, an online programme which further supports their literacy development. At the end of each library lesson, students are expected to self evaluate their reading progress and set targets.
At Somervale School we use the High Five Reading Strategy (Dymock and Nicholson 2010) to promote the active reading of texts in all lessons and support students’ comprehension.
Support students to read by providing background information.
Encourage students to make predictions about the text.
Actively read the text together, making annotations and asking questions.
Support students with tricky vocabulary.
Encourage students to summarise the text.
In addition to this, staff use a wide range of strategies to support reading within lessons, enabling students to develop their comprehension of information, reading fluency, cognitive processing and vocabulary use. Reading ages are generated through the STAR reading test and are updated and shared with teaching staff throughout the academic year. This supports staff to ensure that all information used within lessons is presented in a way that is appropriate to each student’s reading needs.
Alongside our whole school reading programme, we run a number of targeted interventions to support the development of reading and phonics. For example, KS3 students who are well below chronological age have regular access to the MyLexia literacy programme which supports their reading skills in the areas of phonics, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary and grammar. Those diagnosed with dyslexia are provided with IDL intervention, a speaking-computer based multi-sensory system which supports learners with dyslexia and other learning difficulties to increase their reading.
The school library is at the heart of our school. We are very fortunate to have a large, dedicated space with over 10,000 books, including a range of dyslexia friendly texts, that students have access to before, during and after the school day.
"Our library is a place of refuge, a world of knowledge, with all the latest books to read and fantastic events for us all."
Our school librarians offer a wide range of extra curricular activities throughout the year including author visits, trips to the Bath Literature Festival, professional writing workshops and World Book day celebrations and events. They also are very proactive with our Accelerated Reader programme and regularly celebrate and praise our word millionaires with rewards. Somervale is also proud to be one of the founding schools in the new MNSP Book Awards.
"I loved taking part in our school book awards. It helped me find different styles of books to enjoy!"
Our students are an integral part of the library and its success. Each day student librarians from across KS3, support their peers to select books. We have student Reading Ambassadors who assist with the development of the library and offer book clinics each week, prescribing reading materials for their peers. We also have KS4 students who mentor our younger readers on a weekly basis, listening to them read aloud and supporting them to feel more confident.
"Our school library is a quiet, happy space!"
At Somervale School, we strongly encourage all students to make reading a daily habit. Even just 15-20 minutes a day can make a huge difference. Regular engagement with books, articles, and even graphic novels will enable students to make greater progress in their academic studies and will also support their overall wellbeing. Parents can support their child with reading at home by:
Letting them choose reading materials that genuinely interest them. This could include comic books, magazines, sports articles, graphic novels or books about their favourite hobbies.
Reading aloud together. This can be a wonderful bonding experience and helps children associate reading with positive emotions.
Discussing books with your child, asking them questions, and encouraging them to share their thoughts and feelings.
Talking about what you're reading and sharing your enthusiasm for reading.
Offering praise and encouragement when you see your child making the effort to read.
Using audiobooks to listen to stories or non-fiction texts together.
Encouraging your child to engage with current affairs using websites such The Day and newsforkids.net.
Year 7 - The Red Pathway Reading List (Soaring Readers)
Year 7 - The Amber Pathway Reading List (Growing Readers)
Year 7 - The Green Pathway Reading List (Developing Readers)
Year 8 - The Red Pathway Reading List (Soaring Readers)
Year 8 - The Amber Pathway Reading List (Growing Readers)
Year 8 - The Green Pathway Reading List (Developing Readers)
Year 9 - The Red Pathway Reading List (Soaring Readers)
Year 9 - The Amber Pathway Reading List (Growing Readers)
Year 9 - The Green Pathway Reading List (Developing Readers)
