Reading at Bromley Beacon Academy Bromley
Bromley Beacon Academy places great importance on reading since it is a vital skill for all students to learn. We promote independence and encourage all students to read for pleasure, both in school and at home. We recognise that everyone learns at different rates and that reading involves more than just decoding print on a page, it involves listening, questioning and understanding. Reading:
- Exercises & develops the brain
- Improves concentration
- Improves vocabulary & develops imagination
- Develops self-esteem & confidence
- Relaxes the body and calms the mind
When students join the school they are assessed for reading accuracy and reading comprehension. Assessment data is used to inform further assessments, teaching, planning and intervention as needed. They are also assessed for Visual Stress, to see if they would benefit from using a coloured overlay to improve their speed, accuracy or comfort when reading.
The school has a well stocked library with a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction books, magazines, and reading resources to suit all abilities and interests. We are happy to purchase particular books for individual students upon request.
Students are able to take books & magazines home through our ‘Book Share Scheme’, and we recommend that students read for 20 minutes per day at home when possible. Support is available for parents & carers in supporting their reading at home. Parents/carers must sign up to this scheme; details are available from Mrs Gray in the Library.
Reading for pleasure is the main message behind our reading here at Bromley and the introduction of our ‘Reading Avenues’ and incentives, such as ‘Hooked on Reading’, are popular with our students.
Reading Avenues
It is important that students understand that all reading is worthwhile and can help them on their journey to becoming successful in the future. To encourage reading for pleasure we have set up ‘Reading Avenues’ to enable even the most reluctant readers to follow an avenue that suits them and they are confident in; they are free to change avenues as they wish. The avenues are:
- Reading fiction or non-fiction books, graphic novels, poetry
- Reading magazines of their choice, newspapers, film, game & music reviews
- Reading online resources & listening to audio books
Reading currently takes place during tutor group sessions throughout the week. Students needing more support with reading, on a 1:1 or small group basis, have timetabled access to reading intervention during these sessions with Reading Leaders and/or School Staff.
Hooked on Reading
Students receive a raffle ticket every time they are seen reading around the school; in classes, tutor times, golden time even offsite activities, trips and the book share scheme. All tickets are entered into a weekly draw for a £5.00 voucher; all winners are then entered into an end of term draw for a mystery prize.
All reading makes a difference, but evidence suggests that reading for pleasure makes the most (Clark, C and De Zoysa, S. (2011)
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