We love to read!

"Reading is at the heart of learning" - Ofsted 2024

At Matchborough First School Academy, we recognise the importance of instilling a love of reading in every child. Not only is it important for a child’s academic attainment, it can improve their sense of connectedness to the wider community, help them understand their own identity, enable them to empathise with others and give them into a deeper insight into the world view of others. For this reason, we have placed reading4pleasure at the very heart of our school. We know that the benefits of reading are more likely to be felt when reading takes place through free choice and is enjoyable. Below are the many ways in which we promote the ‘for pleasure’ element here at Matchborough First School Academy.

Themed Classroom Libraries

Every classroom has a themed classroom library where children can go and select from a variety of reading material including fiction, non-fiction, comics and magazines. Each classroom library is designed to be both inviting and stimulating in which the children feel relaxed and comfortable. The classroom libraries really are creative and get the children’s imaginations firing ready for that journey to another world when reading for pleasure. The spaces also allow children to extend their learning by researching further information during lessons while also helping to build on both their reading and oracy skills. Each class has dedicated Library Monitors to help organise the library and keep it tidy.

MRR2R (Mr Richardson Recommends to Read)...

Mr Richardson loves books and every two weeks, he recommends a book for either EYFS, KS1 or KS2 to read on the school newsletter. How many of his book recommendations can you read with your child?Keep your eyes peeled for the next MRR2R!

Breakfast Reading Club

Mrs Wood and Mrs Chin run a Breakfast Reading Club Monday to Thursday. The children love sharing books together while having their breakfast!

OU/UKLA Teachers' Reading Group

We are committed to research into Reading for Pleasure (RfP) to enrich our understanding of effective practice in school. We are part of a community of 'reading teachers' who are are inspired to bring RfP to the heart of school life. Take a look at our most recent EoP research below.

Our book recommendations!

There is something special about cuddling up with your little one and reading a book or sharing a bedtime story together. That is why we have included a list of recommended books below for different year groups. Please click the links below look below for some ideas about some of the books you could read at home with your child.

EYFS & KS1

YEAR 3

YEAR 4

Feel free to enjoy some of the stories from Oxford Owl by clicking the picture below:

Click the picture below for further recommendations from Book Trust:

Book Pals

Each term a class is chosen to become 'Book Pal's' with another class and children with their teacher choose two books they would like to read together. The children they give their thoughts and opinions as to which book was best and why (sometimes even having a class debate!). The class then promote this book to their 'Book Pal' class through a book review, letter or promotional video. The other class also goes through the same process and decides whether they agree with their 'Book Pal's' decision.

Starbooks

We have our very own reading café which opens at lunchtimes and is run by a team of Book Baristas from Year 4 who serve a variety of books to children across Key Stage 1 and 2. Having successfully applied for the role, the Book Baristas pass on their own love for reading by recommending books and listening to the children read. Starbooks is a peaceful and relaxing environment in which children can discover new books and go on an adventure simply by turning a page. It is filled with giant cushions and soft blankets so that children feel really cosy. Starbooks also has its very own newspaper subscription and each week a new newspaper is delivered so that children can find out all about world affairs. Reception and Nursery have their own mini version of Starbooks where they can access books which are delivered by trolley at lunchtime. Who needs a skinny latte or mocha when you have books!

Readathons

Every year we do a Readathon where we aim to raise money to provide books for children in hospitals. We promote our Readathons through Read for Good (readforgood.org). Readathon encourages children to read whatever they enjoy; from comics to classics and audio books to blogs. It also helps pupils to see the positive benefits of reading, both for themselves and for others. Our Readathons involve the whole school, parents and wider community, as reading takes place both at home and in school and most importantly involves pupils choosing for themselves what they want to read and when they want to read.

Welcome Wednesday

Every Wednesday, we open our Reception doors and invite our Reception parents to come and enjoy a book with their child without the distractions that home life can bring. The doors open every Wednesday throughout year and parents and they are welcome to come whenever they are free.

Year Group Authors

Each year group has been assigned a class author. During daily shared reading time the teacher will share books written by this author to help the children gain an understanding of the style in which the author writes, characters they use and any similarities between stories.

Reception - Jill Murphy

Year 1 - Oliver Jeffers

Year 2 - Julia Donaldson

Year 3 - Roald Dahl

Year 4 - David Walliams

Brand New Library

As of March 2023, we now have a brand new library and what a makeover it has had! From a Narnia doorway to an enchanted forest wall scape and pictures of well-known authors on the panelling, our library really is now the place to kick back and enjoy a book or research one of our many topics. All of our books are brand new and cater for all year groups, closely linked to all our topics to help children build on their knowledge across all subjects. Our books include fiction, non-fiction black history, LGBQT+ titles and many more! There is even a gaming section, not to mention a space dedicated purely for magazines, newspapers and comics! Every class has a dedicated weekly library slot where they can visit the library or even choose additional time if they wish to research a specific topic. During their library time, children can sit on the comfy sofa, bean bags or cushions and enjoy a book either individually, with a partner or in a small group. Children can also listen to audio books using the mini computer suite or research for information. Children are able to choose a book to take back to their classroom and return it to the library once they have finished with it. Class Librarians are responsible for keeping the library tidy and for recommending new books.

Friday Favourites

Each week, a child from every class is chosen to bring in their favourite book from home to share with the class on a Friday. A bit like Show and Tell, they share the reasons as to why they like the book, describe their favourite character and give us a bit of a book review. The teacher or the child will read some of the book to the class. It’s great to see children sharing a love of reading and enthusing others to go off and read the same book for themselves. A Friday Favourites poster is displayed within each classroom or on the classroom door so that the class know who’s turn it is to bring a book in.

Teacher Favourites

And it’s not just the children! Teachers also get the opportunity to share their favourite book with the school during assembly time. We have dedicated assembly time simply for the enjoyment of reading. The only problem is, so many teachers want to share their favourite books they have to wait their turn! I wonder which teacher will be reading next!

Reading Buddies

As part of our assembly rota, we have dedicated time for Reading Buddies in which classes go and visit another class to read with them. The children pair up and listen to one another read and enjoy a story together. Year 4 classes read with Year 2 classes and Year 3 classes read with Year 1 classes. The older children really enjoy the responsibility of choosing a partner and selecting a book that matches their interests.

DEAR Class Readers

Although the school day can be very busy, we ensure to dedicate time to reading. Every day we make sure to just Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) simply for the love of a good book. Each year group has been assigned an author and throughout the year, each class can enjoy books together written by that author. It is a lovely and calm way to start an afternoon or finish the day, especially when there is so much to fit in. On classroom doors, each class displays which book they are reading to encourage discussions and promote the author.

World Book Week and Book Snuggles

We don’t just limit ourselves to one day when celebrating World Book Day, we spend an entire week celebrating stories and enjoying reading. We do lots of activities centred on books including sharing stories, reading in unusual places, creating bookmarks, taking #shelfies, designing our own front covers, completing quizzes and simply reading for the love of it. We also have Book Snuggles in which Reception invite Parents/Carers to enjoy a book and hot chocolate together while getting cosy in the school hall on lots of cushions and blankets. For the rest of the school, we have mixed Book Snuggles (Y1 & Y3, Y2 & Y4) where children enjoy a milkshake and read together. It’s always lovely to see the older children reading to the younger children and sparking their interest. After all, that’s what reading is all about!