Dear Parents and Guardians

I hope you have had a great week and been able to reflect on your child's learning journey after learning conferences last week. I also hope you have enjoyed some the book week activities even if it has been vicariously!

Children who are weak readers will struggle as much in maths and science at iGCSE as they do in English and in arts subjects, according to studies of student reading. Reading not only improves focus as you immerse yourself in the story and focus on just one thing,  it also helps boost memory.  As you come across quotes and interesting information your brain processes these and recalls them at a later date so you are boosting your memory skills without even knowing  it when reading.

Learners who are reading consistently have been noticed to have increased empathy. This is because they are reading books that explore the inner world of characters, their thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Learners who read, get a better understanding of how other people see the world and this improves their own empathy. Empathy is important in any relationship and it can ensure academic success. Those with empathy can communicate effectively with their peers and teachers.

There are other benefits to reading such as stress relief and improved self-esteem. Reading is a relaxing activity that can alleviate stress. Stress in small doses is a healthy emotion however learners can experience unhealthy high levels of stress near exam time.  When we read, we immerse ourselves in a different reality. We disconnect from the stresses we are experiencing and reduce the intensity of the stress we were feeling.   When we read, we interact with new information. We learn about new topics, history, geography, and biodiversity in a specific place. We improve our general knowledge of the world and knowing more improves our academic success. But it also boosts our self-esteem, because we learn new things that are useful in the future.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend

Best wishes

Dr Heather

Head of Secondary