Deputy Principal - Teaching and Learning

Building a love of reading

Research consistently shows that encouraging teenagers to read for enjoyment, not just for set English texts, pays real dividends in the classroom. A major UK longitudinal study tracking thousands of young people found that those who read for pleasure made significantly greater progress in vocabulary, spelling and mathematics between the ages of 10 and 16 than peers who rarely read, with the effect proving even more influential on their progress than their parents' level of education (Sullivan and Brown, 2015).

International research supports this. The OECD has found that a student's enjoyment of reading matters more to their educational success than their family's socio-economic background, and reading frequency and enjoyment are directly linked to stronger attainment (OECD, 2002). Recent findings from the National Literacy Trust also suggest that children who enjoy reading are far more likely to report good mental wellbeing (National Literacy Trust, 2023).  In short, reading for pleasure supports academic progress, emotional development and future life chances. 

Yet, data shows enjoyment drops sharply as students move through secondary school, falling away more than twice as fast as their enjoyment of reading in their own free time, a reminder that fostering a genuine love of reading, not just compliance with reading tasks, needs deliberate attention throughout the crucial secondary years. (National Literacy Trust, 2023). 

So, these holidays, join me in getting lost in a good book, and encourage your children to join you. One day they will thank you for it! 

I leave you with a short reflection on the value of reading from our Co-School Captain, Martha McKellar:

The smell of a new book or the familiar feel of a worn one, its spinal integrity lost to the previous readers. The satiating experience of diving into a book that totally captivates you and keeps you gripped until the last line, and then once reached, makes you burst with anticipation to discuss your thoughts with someone else.

My mum describes reading as your first love affair and one that lasts a lifetime. Unwavering in its loyalty, always there after a long day and equipped to make you laugh, cry, smile or all of the above.

I know I probably sound like a broken record, but with social media being omnipresent and the easier choice, I implore you to nourish your brains by picking up a book.

Ms Lisa Hanlon

Deputy Principal - Teaching and Learning