At Falcon, we are devoted to encouraging children to become independent, fluent, confident readers by promoting a love of reading through enjoy visits from authors, book fairs, fancy dress World Book Days and more! Staff share with the children their own love of reading in order to inspire and encourage them to explore new genres, and authors by regularly reading diverse texts in class.
We use Accelerated Reader across the school to support the children in becoming confident, fluent readers, who read regularly in school, and receive the support and encouragement needed to ensure they reach their full potential. Children and parents are encouraged to share a love of reading at home by reading books together. Research conducted by the National Literacy Trust (2024) shows that reading for pleasure not only supports reading, but also wider literacy skills, wellbeing, empathy, confidence and aptitude for learning.
Guided Reading sessions follow the Talk for Reading approach. This provides children with an opportunity to explore and discuss a wide range of high-quality texts which challenge and develop their reading skills. Many of these texts are on the Falcon reading spine which consists of a range of genres and text types for example: archaic texts, complexity of plot, non-linear time sequences, complexity of narrator and resistant texts. Reading is also taught during daily English lessons and "Reading as a Reader" through our Talk for Writing approach, which uses model texts pitched at a challenging level and builds strong vocabulary, grammar and reading skills.
By the time children leave Falcon, we want them to have developed a love of reading for pleasure, having been exposed to a wide range of challenging books and genres. We want them to be confident, fluent readers who are inspired to continue their passion for books and reading as they move through their education and into adulthood.
