At The Earls, we think that reading is really important! We know that being able to read well is the key to doing well at school and in exams. But just as importantly, confident readers can access all the information they need for their future careers and personal lives, and also take pleasure in reading all sorts of books.

We support our students to become more confident readers in a number of ways:

• All students in Years 7 and 8 have timetabled reading lessons
• All students read twice a week in form time
• We regularly track students’ progress in reading, and share this information with teachers and parents
• We have invested heavily in our new library, and employ a full time library assistant to help students make the most of it
• We provide ongoing training for our teachers in supporting reading in their lessons
• We have a team of specialist reading TAs, who work 1:1 and with small groups of students who need extra support
• We are developing an exciting extra-curricular programme including a visit from Jaqueline Wilson and book clubs

Reading at home

Advice for parents to encourage children and teens reading – Scottish Book Trust

Renaissance Quizzes

Students in years 7 and 8 are encouraged to complete a quiz on any book they read. This means we can track the number of words they have read, which leads to certificates, Word  Millionaire reading flashes, prizes for the top form and book tokens for our top readers.

We can also use the results to help us nderstand where students might need extra help with their reading.

To access the Renaissance quizzes, log on to RM Unify (www.earlsdudley.rmunify.com) and click the blue Renaissance tile. If students need help with their usernames / passwords, they should speak to their reading teacher or Mrs Rock.

Recommended Book Lists

Mrs Rock, our Director of Reading, has put together the following list of recommended reads – ideal if you want to encourage your student to visit the library, or if you are looking for a Christmas or birthday present!