our reading philosophy at gentleshaw
“Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are”
At Gentleshaw, we believe that reading is one of the most important tools to learning. It is essential for fostering the kind of communication skills that are needed in every area of life. Our curriculum ensures children develop a lifelong love of reading, and reading for pleasure becomes an integral part of our children’s lives. Reading enables children to learn about the world around them- through reading they learn about people, places and events outside of their own experience, developing their imagination, empathy and understanding. Children who read often will have improved vocabulary and highly developed language skills all improving their ability to write well. At Gentleshaw we aim to teach our pupils to read fluently and with good understanding, being enthusiastic, engaged and driven readers. We place high value on instilling a love of reading and books, igniting a true passion for literature within our pupils. We promote reading a wide range of different authors, genres and texts to broaden children’s experiences and knowledge
What Ofsted says ‘Leaders promote a love reading across the school. They select high-quality texts for teachers to use in lessons. In addition, staff share book recommendations with pupils. This encourages pupils to read a variety of stories from different authors.’
‘The school’s approach to teaching early reading is well planned. Younger pupils have phonics lessons every day. They read to adults regularly. As a result, all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), become better readers over time. ‘
Oracy
Oracy is the ability to communicate verbally in order to gain understanding, express ideas, and interact with people. Oracy is an essential learning tool in the classroom; by helping kids become better communicators and listeners, we enable them to have a deeper understanding of the people in their environment as well as themselves.
At Gentleshaw, we think that spoken language is crucial to our kids' growth and success in all subject areas. Throughout the taught curriculum and the school's overall culture, we hope to foster spoken language proficiency.
Children learn how to communicate effectively by participating in oracy projects that incorporate storytelling, arguing, and presentation skills. Strong oracy abilities foster broader literacy abilities; advancements in oracy are also associated with gains in writing, reading, and general achievement.
Staff favourites
At Gentleshaw it’s not just the children who love reading, the adults do too (we even have a budding author within our school staff)! We pride ourselves on being positive reading role models, as so many of us know how literature can hold a special place in your heart even for many years to come.
We asked our staff what their favourite children’s books are and why…
