Literacy news
Reading for fun vital to excellence in English, states Ofsted report
16 May 2011
Schools need to encourage pupils to read for fun to achieve outstanding standards in English, says Ofsted.
The education watchdog analysed how 12 schools accomplished "excellence" in the subject and found that all had a curriculum that "gave a high profile to reading for pleasure".
Ofsted's report said:
"Schools that take the business of reading for pleasure seriously, where teachers read, talk with enthusiasm and recommend books, and where provision for reading is planned carefully, are more likely to succeed with their pupils' reading."
The recommendation comes just after we published our 2011/12 Schools Guide to Literacy, a free guide for schools looking to improve literacy in levels. The guide emphasises the importance of reading for pleasure and provides practical advice for teachers and other staff on how to establish a reading culture in their school.
We have also recently launched a number of resources for purchase by schools, designed to encourage reading for pleasure. You can read more about the resources here.
The Ofsted report, Excellence in English, also recommends good-quality oral work to engage pupils "who might otherwise take little interest" in English.
Read more at the TES.
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