Reading for Pleasure
Welcome to our Reading for Pleasure page!
Reading for pleasure opens up new worlds for children. It gives them the opportunity to use their imagination to explore new ideas, visit new places and meet new characters. Interestingly, reading for pleasure also improves children’s well-being and empathy. It helps them to understand their own identity, and gives them an insight into the world and the views of others.
Check out some of our top tips below, including articles on how to build a culture of reading at home, how to help your child choose books, enjoy listening to stories together and more.
Joshua Seigal Joshua Seigal is a multiple award winning poet, performer and educator. He is the author of 'I Don't Like Poetry' and many other acclaimed books. His website is www.joshuaseigal.co.uk
Louie Stowell Louie Stowell started her career writing carefully-researched books about space, ancient Egypt, politics and science. Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good is her first project as both author and illustrator, inspired by her research into Norse myths
TOP TEXTS -
Every month a guest recommends three books - TAKE A LOOK!
We are holding an exciting competition taking place over the Christmas holidays and we need YOU to take part!
All you need to do is encourage your children to read and take a photograph of them reading in the most unusual place. You could read upside down, with your pet… the possibilities are endless!
Photos should be emailed to:
tracy.millane@hawthorn-tree.lincs.sch.uk
Entries need to arrive no later than Wednesday 17th January 2024,
If you haven’t got access to email, you can print your photo and bring it to school! Entries received after the 17th January will not be entered into the competition.
This competition will be judged in 3 categories: Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, a prize for each winner.
Winners will be announced during our Friday Celebration Assembly.
We can't wait to see your entries. Good luck and happy reading!
Boston Library - why not take a visit!
Boston Library offers a variety of events and activities for children and adults, giving you the perfect opportunity to meet people in your local community or to learn something new. Use the link below for more information.
Reading aloud to children: 7 steps to making it magical
1. Find a brilliant book
Quality picture books lend themselves to reading aloud to young children. They often have rich rhythms and rhymes, stunning illustrations and engaging characters with whom we can all connect. It’s worth the hunt – at school, the library or local bookshop and involving your child in choosing too. If there’s time try and read it to yourself first so you know how it flows.
2. Choose a comfy spot
Turn off the TV and your phone and settle down together, perhaps with your child’s favourite cuddly toy to listen in too! It is often said readers are raised on their parents’ laps, so get comfortable and hold the book so you can both see it. This is your special time together.
3. Begin the journey
Read the title aloud and the author’s name and spend some time just looking together at the cover together, you might point things out, wonder aloud what’s going to happen to a particular character but let your child comment too. If you wish read the back cover blurb too, tempting your child with the snippets offered and chatting about what the book appears to be about.
4. Read, relax and respond
Open it up unhurriedly and begin to read the first few pages of the text, reading slowly and expressively before you pause, so you’ve begun to tempt your child in to the tale. Relax; there is no right way to do this! Being responsive to your child’s reactions is important. If they comment, ask questions or are looking closely at a picture, pause and respond, their relaxed attentive involvement is a joy to see and deserves your encouragement.
5. Blether about the book
Informal book blether is key to enjoying a story. Pause between reading it aloud and take the time to chat about what’s happening, the behaviour of the characters, what might happen next and so on. Make connections to people and events in your child’s life as this will help them make personal sense of the story. Far from being a one-sided experience, reading aloud should be interactive – packed with young children’s observations, responses to the text and significant book blether.
6. Bring the book to life
Don’t rush, but do keep the flow of the story going (there will be plenty of time to examine it further on a 2nd/3rd reading!), so whilst at times you’ll stop to chat, at others, hold the telling space and have fun! Add in noises, emphasis, intonation and colour by using your voice to bring the book to life. No-one is watching and your child will enjoy it more and join in with your actions, facial expressions and any repeating lines.
7. Finish with space to think
As you reach the last page, slow down and let the story reach its end with emphasis. Then pause, looking intently at the page yourself to think about the tale, don’t rush to asking questions, allow some thinking space and let your child guide you. They may choose to look back through it, may demand it ‘again!’ or may scramble down in search of another. There’s no need to discuss it, but if they’re looking through it they may want to talk more about it.