Reading for Pleasure

At Lydd Primary School, we firmly believe that reading for pleasure is essential for children's development. It not only enhances literacy skills but also fosters imagination, empathy, and a lifelong love for books. Here’s why it’s important:

 · Boosts Literacy Skills: Regular reading improves vocabulary, comprehension, and writing skills.

· Encourages Imagination: Stories transport children to different worlds, sparking creativity.

· Builds Empathy: Reading diverse stories helps children understand different perspectives and       cultures.

· Promotes Relaxation: Reading can be a calming activity that reduces stress and anxiety.

 Our Approach to Reading for pleasure, includes fostering a life long love of reading and books by placing reading at the heart of our school:

· Regular social events for families involving hot chocolate or ice pops to bring everyone together with     books.

· Daily story time in all classes.

· Book swaps on the school grounds for pupils and one for grown ups by the school office.

· A purpose built library space with high quality books for all pupils to access and enjoy.

· Sharing book recommendations with both pupils and staff.

· Working with Kent Libraries to support access to books during the school holidays. We also hold joint     events between the library and the school to support important dates in the reading calendar such       as ‘The Summer Reading Challenge’ and ‘World Book Day’.

· Small class libraries with high quality texts in every classroom.

· We have six librarians from KS2 who had to apply for the role. They help organise the book stock and are ambassadors for books and reading, sharing recommendations and their love of books with the wider school community.