Reading
AVS: A Reading School
Here at The Avon Valley School, we are committed to giving our students the best chance to become lifelong readers. We know from all the available evidence that reading regularly improves mental health, wellbeing and literacy levels. Here are some of the opportunities on offer at our reading school:
-
DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time happens daily for all students in tutor time throughout years 7 -10. At these times, everyone in the class, including the teacher, takes at least ten minutes to read a book of their choice or enjoy being read to by their tutor. Students tell us that they enjoy the experience and parents have overwhelmingly agreed that DEAR encourages students to read more.
-
Our English team has overhauled our curriculum, particularly at KS3, to ensure that students are exposed to challenging, diverse and engaging texts. From "The Hunger Games" to "Noughts and Crosses", there's something from everyone.
-
Literacy is one of the most important contributors to lifelong success, which is why we have a number of interventions in place to support students to achieve their full potential. From computer-based programs like Lexia to one-to-one phonics-based interventions, we look to identify and support the students that need it as quickly as possible.
-
You can’t foster a love of reading without books. As well as students in Years 7- 8 enjoying a lesson in the library once a fortnight, our library is open at lunch throughout the week for all years so they can access a wide range of the fiction and non-fiction books they love to read, for free.
-
Alongside all of this, teachers in every subject take a cohesive approach when introducing new and unfamiliar vocabulary to our students. Using our reading rich curriculum model, vocabulary is pre-taught, curiosity is encouraged and high quality reading is modelled, enabling students to get the most out of texts they come across in the classroom. Our staff team has received training around putting this into practice to further embed aspects of the EEF framework for teaching disciplinary literacy.
At AVS, it is our shared goal to provide as many rich and varied opportunities as possible for students to develop a love of reading for pleasure. To help you find the books that are most suitable, below is a selection of recommended reading lists, arranged by reading age, to develop this love further at home.