At our school it became evident through the children's
reading achievement and reading records that many of our
children were not having reading experiences outside the
classroom environment.
With funding from the Family Learning Team at CfBT Education
Trust, we set about targeting our underachieving families.
We began to tackle this by talking to parents informally
about reading at home. We discovered that many families
did not see reading as a priority and often did not have
time to fit it into their busy schedules. We also found
out that a large percentage of families were not members
of their local library.
I thought about how we could help families fit reading
into everyday life, and embarked on the answer on my way
home from work one evening! I noticed that many of our Portuguese
families would meet socially in the local café after
picking up their children from school. What a wonderful
sight: children and parents engaging, smiling and chatting,
with lots of laughter.
The Café Reading idea sprang to life... incorporating
reading and families' social experiences through the use
of the library and the local café.
Sessions run after school every Thursday and begin with
a story/ reading session in the Tate Library, followed by
a story-based activity, which encompasses early reading
strategies, art, writing and oral fluency, but most importantly
real hands on, fun reading experiences. The second part
of the session involves going to the local café to
share the borrowed books from the library, over a cake and
a coffee. This time also gives parents the opportunity to
ask questions and gain ideas on how they can support their
child's reading achievement and how they might improve their
own literacy skills. We have 'signposted' some parents onto
adult literacy classes.
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The project's overarching aim is for families to
see reading as a fun, sharing experience and to engage
in cooperative learning, using each other's skills
to improve everyone's literacy levels.
Over project's two years, its popularity amongst
families has grown, as well as the levels of achievement
and engagement in reading.
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One particular Portuguese boy, who refused to engage in
reading activities at school or at home, through careful
intervention and participation in the project has now reached
the national reading level for his age. Mum had been very
worried that his only interest was playing with cars. Together
we used that interest to develop his love of books. We began
by using internet sites to research cars, and then moved
on to looking at information books about cars, and even
fiction books that had cars in them. The school, as well
as mum, are very pleased with the progress he has made.
"He is happy to share books
with me now, and now the books are about everything! He
loves books! He wants me to read all the time"
(Mum)
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"I thought the library was
about quiet reading… that is my childhood experience,
anyway! But at Café Reading we sing, shout
out and make a complete mess with bits of paper and
glue."
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St Stephen's School would like to thank CfBT and the Family
Learning Team for funding the Café Reading Project.
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