Best Practice

Three strategies to boost reading for pleasure in secondary schools

Reading and vocabulary Literacy School libraries
Schools do their best to encourage students to read for pleasure and the school library has a core role to play. Heather Grainger describes three broad strategies to get young people loving reading
Inspiring: After-school events in the library, such as Spooky Stories in the Dark or a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, can help to inspire young readers - Adobe Stock

While reading is a key skill across the curriculum, finding time and opportunity to encourage reading for pleasure can be difficult. School librarians, however, are well placed to lead and support initiatives to engage students with reading and develop a love of reading across all ages and abilities.

Every school is different, and the ideas listed below come not just from my own school’s practices, but from the wealth of inspirational work being done by school librarians across the country. It is vital that schools find the tools that work best for them.

 

Something for everyone

A good school library is obviously about more than just books. However, stocking and curating a wide selection of books is a key step in promoting reading for pleasure. In library lessons for years 7 and 8, we actively encourage free choice, allowing students time to choose and try out any type of book they find appealing – be it fiction, information books, magazines or graphic novels.

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