Reading for Pleasure
Why Reading for Pleasure Matters?
Children who read for pleasure are more likely to have strong reading comprehension, writing ability, and vocabulary. Research indicates a strong link between reading and improved brain structure, cognitive performance, and better academic results.
Reading fosters emotional intelligence, helping children understand different perspectives and emotions. It also acts as a calming activity, reducing stress, and is linked to higher overall well-being.
Establishing a love of reading early helps children become confident, lifelong learners.
Our School Story
At The Grange Primary School, we believe reading sits at the heart of school life. As you walk around the school, you hear the buzz and feel the excitement for books.
Every classroom features a wide range of books within comfortable reading areas. The school library is well stocked and welcoming, providing another space where children can discover and enjoy new stories.
Both children and staff look forward to the many moments in the day when they can share a book, read aloud or listen closely during story time.
Our dedicated Reading Ambassadors support younger readers, recommend books, assist in the library and share their favourite stories in assemblies.
At the end of each day, children take books home to continue their reading adventures with their families.
At the end of the day, all children are sent home with books to continue their reading adventures with their families.
We are all working together to make lifelong readers.
Upcoming Reading Events
Zog Day
This will take place on Thursday 12th June and will mark the 15th anniversary of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s beloved dragon Zog. We will be reading Zog books and celebrating Zog’s personal qualities. These stories are about the importance of caring, kindness, friendship, encouragement and teamwork.
The Grange Story Writer of the Year
It will soon be our annual story writing competition. This competition has run for many years and has had a range of themes and countless fabulous entries. The competition opens in June. Further details will follow shortly.
Recent Reading Events
Poem in Your Pocket Day
Our day in April was a true celebration of poetry with every class writing, performing or reading a poem and then sharing it with another class within the school. Older children wrote poems and kept them in their pocket to share with other children throughout the day.
Shakespeare Day
On Thursday 23rd April we celebrated the talented William Shakespeare and his work. Classes focused on some of his unique phrases, interesting characters and timeless stories. Oracy was featured very heavily in our approach to this day.
World Book Day
This year’s World Book Day was an amazing event. Every class read ‘The Day the Banana Went Bad’ by Michelle Robinson. The book was read and discussed then a range of engaging activities took place incorporating many different curriculum areas. Many children dressed up as their favourite book character whilst others came in their pyjamas ready for a bedtime story. It was a day filled with reading, discussion and fun!
Book Fairs
The Grange Primary School has had 2 very successful Scholastic book fairs this academic year. Each fair has provided a wide range of high quality books and has helped the school raise money to improve their book collection.
National Story Telling Week
We celebrate National Story Telling Week in February each year. This year, our students enjoyed all the activities that occurred during the week. In particular Class 5 as they created their own stories and told them to each other during their Oracy lesson. Class 1 had a wonderful time at their Story Telling Session, where they shared books and told stories.
National Reading Day
This special day marked the start of 2026 Year of Reading. Every class approached this day in their own unique way. Some classes focused on a particular author others looked at a specific book and completed activities based on that.
Michael Rosen Day
In November, we celebrated the author Michael Rosen. We focused on him as an author and looked at range of his work. Many of the classes watched his poems performed by Michael himself. Class Nine particularly enjoyed the day.
National Poetry Day
Everyone enjoyed National Poetry Day on Thursday 2nd October. Every class, listened to, read and created poems. Some children shared poems in assembly. Children talked about which poems they preferred and why.
National Comic Book Day
The day began with a special assembly and the children learnt about the history of comic books. In class, the children explored a range of graphic novels and comic strips: some read them as a class, others on pairs and some independently. The children talked about their favourite comic strips and characters within them. Many classes even created their own comic strips.
Reading Ambassadors
Our wonderful Reading Ambassadors provide a dedicated service for the school. They work hard to help others and promote reading. ADD EXTRA INFO HERE…..
Book Recommendations
Click on the links below for carefully selected titles to inspire children to discover new authors, explore different genres and develop a lasting love of reading:
https://www.booktrust.org.uk/book-recommendations/booklists/100-best-books/
https://schoolreadinglist.co.uk/resources/magazines-and-newspapers-for-children-and-teenagers/
https://www.booksfortopics.com/
Dyslexia friendly books https://collins.co.uk/pages/barrington-stoke
Useful Websites to Support Your Child’s Reading for Pleasure
- Authorfy – Offers videos, interviews, and resources from authors to inspire young readers.
- Epic – A digital library with thousands of books for children of all ages.
- Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) Poetry – Poetry resources and activities to engage children in reading and writing.
If you’d like any more information, please speak to your child’s teacher.
