As the end of the autumn term slowly comes into view, it is an important time to reflect on how pupils are progressing this autumn.
The 2022/23 academic term presents a unique mixture of challenges for teachers and their students – from the impact of the cost-of-living crisis to the long-lasting effects of the pandemic on pupil attainment.
Research by Renaissance and the Education Policy Institute for the Department for Education (DfE, 2022) found that by the end of the first half of the 2021/22 autumn term secondary school pupils were on average 2.4 months behind in reading and learning losses had increased by 0.5 months since the end of the summer term 2021.
The research also shows that the majority (76%) of teachers feel literacy learning loss will be the hardest attainment gap to close this academic year.
This academic term is a vital time for teachers as they continue to implement plans designed to address persisting attainment gaps. Boosting reading enjoyment and instilling a reading culture across the whole school can help with pupil wellbeing and confidence this year and beyond.
Reading engagement and enjoyment often declines as pupils move up to secondary school. There are a number of reasons for this, including less reading engagement activities being offered for their year groups – such as holiday reading challenges – and less dedicated time given to reading in the classroom. Pupils’ priorities also change as they become older and are more interested in spending their free time online.
So highlighting the benefits of reading for pleasure is arguably even more important as pupils progress into their secondary school years. There are a number of initiatives teachers can put in place to support this.
Set aside quality time for reading
Introducing a regular time for pupils to read for pleasure in school each week, for example during a secondary school English lesson or as part of PSHE or form room time, is a great precedent to set – and encouraging students to take these books home will support leisure time reading. This approach could even form part of the school’s wellbeing strategy.
However, for reading time to be effective, pupils need to have a book that really resonates with them. For example, a book that will immerse them in a fictional world, allow them to pursue their interests, or have them on the edge of their seat.
Research by the National Literacy Trust (NLT, 2020) reported that young people who read daily in their free time are twice as likely to read above the level expected for their age than pupils who do not read daily. Therefore, regular reading throughout the week will not only help tackle existing learning loss gaps but will prompt pupils to sustain the habit of independent reading.
Choice is important
Reading engagement can decline in older pupils as they face competing academic priorities such as compulsory texts for different subjects and exams. Therefore supporting reading for pleasure is important for older pupils as independent reading, particularly fiction, can help boost reading skills and vocabulary. However, for a student to want to read for pleasure, they have to find a genre and series that they can connect with. Therefore providing access to books which align with students’ interests and supporting independent book choice is the first step in getting students hooked on reading.
To make this possible for all pupils, it is helpful if teachers can provide access to books which reflect diverse genres and characters – so pupils can be given opportunities to read familiar and favourite genres in addition to being encouraged to explore new ones.
It is likely that less experienced or engaged readers will need more support to find books aligned with their interests and abilities. Teachers and school librarians can play an important role in helping to match students with books they will enjoy. In addition, recommendations from friends, classmates, and online resources can all trigger new reading interests, helping to develop the class reading culture.
Different schools and teachers will have access to different resources, but to help expand the offer to your pupils, you could also explore the different online libraries available.
Ensure books reflect the society we live in
Our society is diverse, and the books pupils have access to need to reflect the society we live in. It is important that all pupils can see themselves positively reflected in what they read, but also learn about others.
Research shows that if a pupil develops a personal connection to a story or a character within a book, this can increase engagement and support comprehension (Calarco et al, 2017). When pupils read fiction books, they often identify with characters to whom they feel alike, and this can help them to engage with the text. In addition, some pupils may enjoy learning about others with different experiences to their own.
Diversity of characters, lives and experiences within fiction books is essential to consider when adding to your school library or book collection, and research is increasingly demonstrating its importance (Best et al, 2020).
Make reading a social activity
Reading does not always have to be a solitary activity and creating inclusive opportunities for pupils to share their thoughts and opinions on books that matter to them can foster a school reading culture.
Ways to make reading more social include supporting a student-led book club, where students chat about books they have enjoyed and recommend books to each other. This will probably need some facilitating initially, by teachers or librarians, but it can be student-led once established.
Other approaches include sharing book reviews and opinions online and seeking recommendations in this way as well. Asking students their thoughts and ideas on ways to make reading more social can help teachers understand what students are most likely to respond positively to.
Maintain the momentum
For sustained success, a whole-school approach to promoting reading for pleasure during pupils’ secondary school years is important. This could include forming a reading leadership group and considering whether reading for pleasure should be included in school strategy documents or improvement plans.
Conclusion
This academic term continues to be a challenging time for teachers and school leaders. While there are a number of competing priorities, instilling a love for reading within pupils can boost a wider range of skills, from comprehension to vocabulary – all of which benefits pupil progression.
A strong reading culture within the whole school can also support a young person’s knowledge and understanding of the world, themselves, and others – offering a wide range of rich and diverse experiences.
- Dr Sarah McGeown is a senior lecturer in developmental psychology at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on children's and young people’s reading motivation and engagement, and how to encourage more children and young people to choose to read in school and at home. She currently leads the Love to Read project (https://blogs.ed.ac.uk/lovetoread/) and is author of a UKLA minibook for primary and secondary teachers and school leaders to support reading for pleasure (https://bit.ly/3xgM1wi).
Further information & resources
- Best, Clark, & Picton: Seeing yourself in what you read: Diversity and children and young people’s reading in 2020, National Literacy Trust, December 2020: https://bit.ly/2VSb1H2
- Calarco et al: Absorption in narrative fiction and its possible impact on social abilities, in Narrative Absorption, October 2017.
- DfE: Understanding progress in the 2020/21 academic year, Renaissance Learning, Education Policy Institute, March 2022: https://bit.ly/3qrfKil
- NLT: Children and young people’s reading in 2019, March 2020: https://bit.ly/3ajlvam
- Renaissance Learning: A guide to reading enjoyment, undated: www.renlearn.co.uk/reading-enjoyment/