“The more you read, the more you know. The more that you learn, the places you’ll go.”
― I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!
Overview of Form Time Reading Programme
Dr. Seuss could have been talking about the students at Thorpe St Andrew School and Sixth Form with this quote as reading has become a core part of everyday life.
In form time twice a week, for 20 minutes, students in Years 7 to 9 are read to in their tutor groups. We read a range of texts from different cultures, traditions and time periods, as well as a careful selection of important works of non-fiction. By reading to them, we are able to supplement the text with valuable context that boosts student knowledge and understanding. In addition to providing our students with access to some of the best fiction and non-fiction ever written, the tutor group reading programme is also designed to complement the curriculum, drawing links to ideas, themes and figures studied in lessons.
By the end of the Key Stage, our students will have read a number of books with challenging themes and vocabulary. When you walk around the building in form time there is a sense of calm and focus as students enjoy their latest book, but don’t be surprised if you see staff touched by the emotion of the books like Wonder by R. J. Palacio.
Key Details:
When? Every Tuesday and Friday during form time.
Where? In form tutor classrooms.
How? Trained form tutors read to their tutees, who track the text with a ruler/bookmark.
Which texts? See below the overview of texts allocated to each year group.
Why? There is growing evidence in the field of education to suggest that the act of reading is one of the best ways in which you can improve academic performance in the long-term.
Key benefits of reading together:
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A social experience that builds a sense of community and belonging
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Regular modelling of fluent, passionate reading delivered by tutors
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Exposure to countless words and phrases not found in everyday dialogue
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Coverage of a wealth of themes and concepts valuable for personal development
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On-going improvement in independent reading skills
We are incredibly proud to introduce and implement in our school a project on such a scale as this.
At Thorpe, we are certain that the energy and commitment invested by each member of staff will reap huge gains, both on academic and pastoral level.
Texts have been selected extremely carefully to ensure that the range of narratives available address age-appropriate themes, but offer a high level of challenge too. We are dedicated to ensuring that progress is made at every stage of your child’s learning journey, and are sure that this new initiative will provide endless opportunities for that.
Strategies to support your child at home:
Be interested and ask about the book daily – plot, characters, themes, predictions.
Be sensitive and ensure your child has the chance to discuss delicate themes that arise.
Be relaxed and offer a calm, stress-free environment that cultivates enthusiasm
Be an example and let your child see you reading for pleasure on a regular basis at home.
We are really excited about this adventure and hope you will join us in supporting our students with their reading journey.
TSAS Year 7 Canon
Here is the list of books that Year 7 will be getting their teeth into – click the book covers below to find a summary of each:
TSAS Year 8 Canon
Here is the list of books that Year 8 will be getting their teeth into – click the book covers below to find a summary of each:
TSAS Year 9 Canon
Here is the list of books that Year 9 will be getting their teeth into – click the book covers below to find a summary of each:
