'If we want our children to thrive, teaching them to read is not enough – they must learn to enjoy it.'

Cressida Cowell - Children's Laureate and author of the best selling series, 'How to Train Your Dragon'.

Reading for pleasure is nothing new - reading a story aloud for the pure enjoyment it provides to the reader and the listener.

At St Joseph's, we value the importance of reading for pleasure and have a daily read-aloud session where the teacher (or other adults) read a selection of great books and page-turners. This provides an opportunity for children to listen to a reading role model who reads with fluency and expression.  This is how children can learn to be expressive readers.

The main benefits of reading for pleasure are:

• increases empathy, improves relationships with others and improves wellbeing throughout life.
• make people feel more connected to the wider community. Reading increases a person’s understanding of their own identity and gives them an insight into the world view of others
• develops the imagination and life experiences 
• increases the likelihood of children being able to read at or above the expected level for their age 
• opens up a world of vocabulary for children to experience and learn.  This in turn can lead to more progress in vocabulary, spelling and maths

We as teachers, encourage students to read books of their choice for pleasure. This is a major contribution towards children developing a positive attitude towards reading and a life-long interest in reading and learning. 
  

Children have access to a wide range of titles, including comedy, comics, non fiction and graphic novels.

Time is devoted to daily quiet reading which allows children to immerse themselves in books of their own choosing. 

Reading for Pleasure is not a poster or slogan; it is when children read greedily with passion - this is the culture we are striving to develop at St Joseph's.

What can you do to help?

To support your child, read to them as often as possible, allowing them to choose books to share.

Read some of the brilliant book suggestions on this page.

You can also visit your local library - it's free and children can loan up to 8 books at a time.

Ask friends to share books their children have enjoyed - you could even set up a book swap shop!

HAPPY READING!!