English Lead reveals benefits of Reading Teachers = Reading Pupils scheme

July 11th 2022

Guest blogger: Kat Standen, English Lead at Cherry Orchard Primary School in Birmingham If you'd like to feature on our blog and share your advice with other teachers and librarians, get in touch!  WRITE FOR US

With late-night marking, endless teaching plans and our own families and chores to contend with, it can be nigh-on impossible to find a spare few minutes to read. But reading for pleasure doesn't just have huge benefits for your own wellbeing; it can also make a world of difference in your class, helping pupils to engage in learning and be more successful in life. Kat shared with us how the Reading Teachers = Reading Pupils scheme can help, plus her top book picks. 

Rediscover your childhood passion 

I have always loved reading: I was the child in class with my nose in a book. However, as an adult, reading for pleasure has – unfortunately – become one of the activities that doesn’t get the priority it should. Because I have rediscovered my passion for reading, I can properly engage with my pupils in discussions about books they have loved, swap recommendations and more. Reading Teachers = Reading Pupils has enabled me to recommend high-quality, age-appropriate texts to my class that I have also been able to enjoy with them. It has broadened my reading tastes, and therefore those of my class too.

Make reading for pleasure a priority

Since taking part in the Reading Teachers = Reading Pupils project, I have found that not only have I been able to help inspire reluctant readers in my class to enjoy reading, I have also found myself protecting and prioritising my reading time too. This is something I intend to keep up! 

Create a buzz with reading schemes for schools

There are many different ways that the books can be incorporated into classrooms: as class reads, as texts to be studied, slipped into class libraries for children to discover...and much more. My children (and me!) have especially enjoyed how the texts chosen have been wrapped up with clues about them. This is something I shall be continuing next year with my new class to help create a buzz about books. Another approach that I would do again next year is letting the children read some of the book before me. My class loved taking on the role of questioners and asking me for my thoughts and predictions!

My recommended books for teachers and pupils 

October, October by Katya Balen This is a book that I probably (if I’m being honest) wouldn’t have chosen. However, I’m so pleased that it was part of this year’s project because the writing was beautiful and the story really drew me in. I was then able to pass this on to my pupils.  DISCOVER

Pig-Heart Boy by Malorie Blackman This book will stay with me for a very long time. Again, it isn’t one I would have chosen for myself. However, the story had me hooked from the start! It had me googling about heart transplants and made my pupils notice newspaper articles about pig heart transplants. I let the pupils read first and get ahead of me. This enabled them to take on the role of teacher with me, asking me questions about what I thought would happen next and teasing me by threatening me with spoilers! This book left me wanting so much more, and the children and I had some great discussions about our thoughts and feelings.  DISCOVER

Storm Hound by Claire Fayers Now this IS a book that I would have picked out for myself: I love dogs and I love history. I loved the humour in this book and often found myself laughing at Storm’s indignation at his situation. Books with magic in are always a winner with me and I had a lots of children in my class who were eager to get their hands on a copy! DISCOVER

If you’d like to get your hands on some great books for your class and take part in a friendly group who will give you lots of ideas and talk about texts, I’d highly recommend you sign up and participate! All three books will be in my book corner again next year, ready for a new class of children to enjoy come September. 

Do you teach in the West Midlands? 

Sign up for our free Reading Teachers = Reading Pupils reading groups, starting in November. 
Contact claire.bowles@peters.co.uk for more information. 

SIGN UP