Kids Need Reading Stamina

Slide 1: “Kids need reading stamina” Developing a reading culture at Nicholas Chamberlaine Technology College

Slide 2: Why read? Why books?

Slide 3: "Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body." Richard Steele

Slide 4: The ability to read is one of the strongest predictors of future success. Although reading can be taught in a classroom, it must be practised. This slide and next: Are librarians really worth it? Available online at: http://www.ccsd.net/schools/watson/libraryresearch.html

Slide 5: Michael Jordan can teach you to how to throw the perfect foul line shot, but if you don't ever practise the skill, his instruction is worthless. When students voluntarily read, they practise and enforce what is taught in the classroom.

Slide 6: OECD “Reading for Change” 2002 found that “Being more enthusiastic about reading and a frequent reader was more of an advantage, on its own, than having well- educated parents in good jobs”

Slide 7: “Finding ways to engage students in reading may be one of the most effective ways to leverage social change." OECD (2002). Reading For Change: Results from PISA 2000, published by the Organisation For Economic Co-operation and Development.

Slide 8: Cultural Reading for = heritage pleasure Creativity and imagination Language development Increased self- esteem Emotional development Sustained concentration

Slide 9: “There is a strong association between the amount of reading for pleasure children reported and their reading achievement.” Twist, L., Schagen, I. and Hodgson, C. (2007). Readers and Reading: National Report for England 2006. Slough: NFER

Slide 10: Reading…. …doesn’t always have to be from books

Slide 11: MSN Bebo and Facebook Magazines and comics Websites TXT messages Newspapers …are all forms of reading! E-books

Slide 12: Why books?

Slide 13: “Books rule! You don’t have pictures to tell you how to imagine something, you can do it yourself! Books can do what no machines can, and probably never will. For example, time travel and they can take you to other dimensions! They are somewhere to go when you just want to escape the real world!” Dani, 13

Slide 14: "You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them." Ray Bradbury

Slide 15: The Rights of the Reader by Daniel Pennac 1. The right not to read 2. The right to skip 3. The right not to finish a book 4. The right to read it again 5. The right to read anything 6. The right to mistake a book for real life 7. The right to read anywhere 8. The right to dip in 9. The right to read out loud 10. The right to be quiet

Slide 16: Challenges at NCTC

Slide 17: Research skills lesson with Year 9… The teacher said, “If you don’t behave I won’t let you use the computers. You will have to use the books instead”.

Slide 18: “A significant number of boys would rather chew off their own right leg than confess to enjoying reading and writing.” Alan Gibbons

Slide 19: Lack of a reading culture amongst some of our intake Time pressures: personal, pastoral and curricular Reluctance to reading, bordering on hostility Declining book issues from KS3 to KS5

Slide 20: What does this mean? Impact on all subjects and exam courses Lack of engagement with culture Stalling of reading & literacy development Problems with concentration and attention span

Slide 21: Lack of imagination and ideas

Slide 22: Year 7 Reading Profile 2005-2006 Class: All Girls % Boys % Totals % Q1 What do you think about reading? Easy 51 40% 54 38% 105 39% Love it 38 30% 15 10% 53 20% Hard work 9 7% 11 8% 20 7% Boring 41 32% 54 38% 95 35% Interesting 45 35% 38 27% 83 31% Slow 25 20% 21 15% 46 17% Better things to do 44 34% 58 41% 102 38% Important 29 23% 26 18% 55 20% Other: 25

Slide 23: Year 7 Reading Profile 2005-2006 Q2. What do you choose to read by yourself? 10% said “Nothing” Q5. Why do you read? 46% gave a negative answer Q6. Do you have your own books or magazines at home? 7% said “No”

Slide 24: Students 2007-2008 Year 7 in September: • 4 with a reading age below 6 years • 14 from 6 years to 6 years 11 months 73 had a reading age of below 11 years Year 11 in September: • 9 below 9 years 11 months 50 had a reading age of below 14 years

Slide 25: “My general experience of dyslexic students who have difficulty reading is that the more they read the better they get. … Clearly once a dyslexic always a dyslexic, but practise makes (closer to) perfect. So the more practise of reading for pleasure the better.” Martin Truckle, NCTC SENCO

Slide 26: We want to raise achievement at NCTC

Slide 27: “The research evidence suggests that encouraging reading for pleasure could be a way of contributing towards raising educational standards and combating social exclusion.” Clark, C and Akerman, R (2006). Social inclusion and reading: an exploration. National Literacy Trust

Slide 28: “Boys need to be led towards reflecting on what they have just learnt. Reticence to reflect is a fundamental gap in boys’ learning processes. Whole school support for reading initiatives (fiction) can significantly aid this process.” Raising Boys' Achievement in Literacy Gary Wilson, Raising boys' achievement co-ordinator

Slide 29: So what could we do?

Slide 30: Students need to be surrounded by books… …with staff who are enthusiastic and knowledgeable … …about reading and children’s literature.

Slide 31: High quality resources Staff Extra- knowledge & curricular activities expertise LRC support for reading Pastoral time Atmosphere Yr 7 Reading Programme

Slide 32: Special Reading Initiatives 07/08  • Boys into Books • Booked Up  • NCTC Book Week  • Shadowing events ? • National Year of Reading ?

Slide 33: Suggestions for NCTC “Intervention” sessions - Year 7 X5 & Y6 • Reading mentors – 6th Form, other years • • Positive attitude to books from staff • Role models with reading • Reading initiatives throughout the college as well as the LRC • National activities e.g. NYR 2008

Slide 34: We need time for reading…

Slide 35: “…time spent reading independently interacts with students’ reading ability and has a positive impact on certain components of reading achievement.” Samuels, S and Wu, Y (2003). How the amount of time spent on independent reading affects reading achievement: A response to the national reading panel

Slide 36: “Sustained reading to my mind is essential for developing a world they would want to live in. The reading does not need to be fiction but I do believe that kids need reading stamina. Just like you have to stick at anything and practice etc surely you need to do the same with reading.” Ingrid Hopson SLYA 2007