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Last updated: October 24th, 2024

Reading for pleasure

Reading for pleasure

Studies show that reading for pleasure makes a significant difference to children’s educational performance as a child’s reading skills are directly linked to their success in all subjects in school: children with good literacy skills do well in other subjects as they are able to analyse and comprehend a range of texts more easily, as well as being able to express their ideas and knowledge, both verbally and in writing, in a more fluent manner.

As children develop their reading skills, they also develop their reading comprehension, that is, their ability to fully understand a written passage of text. It is the bridge between being a passive reader, who takes nothing from what they have just read, and an active reader who engages with what they are reading and who reads with an open and questioning mind.

This is the crucial link to becoming a skilled reader: essential for a positive academic, professional and personal life.

At SJB, we want to wholeheartedly encourage a life-long love of reading amongst all our students and give them the opportunity to encounter characters, situations and viewpoints that mirror their own lives as well as giving them a window into the lives of others. As part of this, students in Years 7 – 10 have a weekly reading homework on Sparx Reader: an online, structured reading programme that exposes students to a wide variety of books appropriate to their age and ability, whilst also improving both their reading skills and their reading comprehension.

In Year 11 and beyond, we encourage students to take a more independent approach to their reading and encourage them to read for at least 20 minutes every day – it doesn’t matter whether they pick up a fiction or non-fiction text, an autobiography, a news article or even a comic book: reading is reading and the time spent enjoying it is what matters!
All students have access to a wide-variety of books in our English classroom book corners as well as a wealth of non-fiction articles on “The Day” via a link on their iPad – this is a great place to start if you don’t have any books to hand at home – and of course, your child’s teachers are more than happy to recommend a book if there is a particular topic/genre your child is enthused about.

We also please ask, that you encourage your child to read at home, complete their Sparx reader homework and support them in their journey to becoming accomplished readers; helping to set them up for success in the future (and a lifetime of enjoying the magical world of books!).

Below you can find links to our recommended reading lists for KS3 & KS4:

Year 7 Mastery Reading ListYear 8 & 9 Mastery Reading List

KS4 Reading List

If none of the books on our reading lists catch your eye, then you may like to try the Bookfinder. This tool allows you to search by reading age and theme to get a selection of bespoke recommendations just for you.