Reading at The Charter School East Dulwich
Welcome! We are dedicated to fostering a love for reading across all year groups through various engaging and supportive initiatives. Here’s an overview of our comprehensive reading strategy:
Tutor Time Reading
Reading practice is delivered during tutor time, providing students with access to a diverse range of genres and texts tailored to their year group. The books we select are thoughtfully chosen to offer both challenge and engagement. Tutors read the books aloud, and students are regularly invited to participate in discussions and answer questions, fostering a collaborative and interactive reading environment.
Reading in Lessons
Reading is an integral part of all lessons, allowing students to gain knowledge about their subjects through various texts. Our approach includes:
- Teachers frequently reading aloud to classes.
- Supporting students to read aloud.
- Facilitating independent reading.
- Employing strategies to aid comprehension.
- Assisting with decoding and pronunciation.
- Providing vocabulary instruction.
To ensure the effectiveness of these strategies, we provide regular training for our staff, keeping them equipped with the best practices for teaching reading skills.
English Reading Homework
We enhance our students' reading skills through regular homework assignments using Sparx Reader. This tool helps us to develop confident readers through consistent practice. Students are offered fantastic books that match their reading levels from a broad range of texts.
Homework tasks are personalized to ensure all students experience regular success in reading. As they progress through their books, students answer questions to stay engaged with the story, making their reading experience both enjoyable and educational.
High-Quality Intervention
To support students who need extra help, we offer high-quality interventions, including:
- Year 7 Paired Reading with Sixth Formers: This initiative pairs Year 7 students with Sixth Form mentors to provide additional reading support and encouragement.
- Synthetic Phonics Intervention: Focused on improving decoding skills, this programme helps students develop a strong foundation in phonics, crucial for proficient reading.
Our School Reading Strategy is designed to create a vibrant reading culture, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to develop a lifelong love of reading. Join us in celebrating the joy of books and the endless possibilities they offer!
Our Library
Our library
The school library lies at the heart of our reading culture at Charter East Dulwich. Our aim is to create a thriving reading community that supports maturing literacy skills as well as exploring the richness and diversity of children’s literature.
The library is open 8:15am - 4pm daily and all students are encouraged to visit during break and lunch times to enjoy quiet reading, borrow books and study.
To support the development of reading skills, all students in Years 7 and 8 visit the library fortnightly as part of their English lessons for dedicated reading time. We also have specialist book collections aimed at supporting and inspiring those children who find reading challenging. All children in KS3 are welcome to join the library’s friendly lunchtime Book Club to share reading with their peers and further develop their love of books.
As well as reading to develop vital literacy skills, our school library aims to spark imagination, develop empathy and allow children to see themselves reflected on the page. Our fiction collections include a wide range of diverse authors and subject matter, as well as graphic novels and manga. We also have a wealth of non-fiction books and magazine subscriptions to widen subject knowledge and support the curriculum, as well as collections focused on well-being and PSHE topics to support personal development.
Our library portal gives all students access to our library catalogue, where they can search for resources, create reading lists of their own, review books and explore online resources relevant to their studies. Click on the link below to see more:
For any enquiries about the library, please contact our librarian Mrs Hewlett: ehewlett@chartereastdulwich.org.uk
Explore reading lists from the English department
Why we value the power of reading
- Reading is closely linked to academic success. Research shows students who read for pleasure have 26% more vocabulary and achieve better outcomes in all subjects, including 10% improvement in maths.
- Reading helps to increase empathy. Through reading, you learn how characters think and feel which helps you in real life relationships.
- Reading helps you develop your confidence and improves self-esteem. Studies reveal that reading frequently has a positive impact on mental health.
- Reading fosters understanding of complex issues. Life is sometimes difficult and sad for people here and around the world. The safe world of a book helps you understand situations when things are confusing, terrifying, distressing, complicated or challenging.
- Reading is enjoyable. When you feel confident about your reading, getting stuck in a book eases daily anxieties. It takes you away to other places, people, and times. It makes you laugh, and cry and it helps you to relax.
A place built for the future
As part of our Phase 2 build project, the library will be moving into a purpose built space in 2025.
