Britain’s young-people may have come near the bottom of a global league table of literacy skills recently, but an Aycliffe school has hit on a solution which, it is hoped, will see its own students come out tops.
Woodham Academy has recently introduced a number of major improvements to its reading policy. Year 7 learners (plus selected individuals from Y8 and Y9) have been enrolled on an Accelerated Reading programme which provides an accurate assessment of their reading and comprehension skills, matches them with appropriate books, and then tests them on how much they have learned.
Those who score well on these on-line quizzes are then able to move up a level and the number of words they have read triggers rewards. Reading takes place in the newly refurbished Reading Area and students are free to find a quiet corner or crash on a cushion to make the most of this leisurely opportunity.
In addition to what the school has termed ‘free reading’ students are also provided with a complimentary Guided Reading programme, where learners discuss matters relating to themes, current issues and deeper meanings, and where they can get to grips with the author’s actual intentions; all of which forms part of the English curriculum.
The intention behind these new initiatives is, says programme leader Josie Marsh, to make reading enjoyable and relevant.
To further encourage students to read Woodham has also launched a reading facility on Moodle, the school’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). The Prize Read scheme offers opportunities for learners to read social and historical articles and win prizes for their thoughts and observations. This, says, Mrs Marsh forms part of the school’s ‘holistic’ approach to reading and writing – this being, she says ‘vital’ for future achievement and success:
“If learners read a lot and read well they will develop a better understanding of the world around them and of the issues they face when they are adults.”
The scheme should also have a positive impact on other school subjects right across the curriculum, and, perhaps, help learners’ future promotion chances.
