Literacy

Children's Rights to Read

1. Children have the basic human right to read.

2. Children have the right to access texts in print and digital formats.

3. Children have the right to choose what they read.

4. Children have the right to read texts that mirror their experiences and languages, provide windows into the lives of others, and open doors into our diverse world.

5. Children have the right to read for pleasure.

6. Children have the right to supportive reading environments with knowledgeable literacy partners.

7. Children have the right to extended time set aside for reading.

8. Children have the right to share what they learn through reading by collaborating with others locally and globally.

9. Children have the right to read as a springboard for other forms of communication, such as writing, speaking, and visually representing.

10. Children have the right to benefit from the financial and material resources of governments, agencies, and organizations that support reading and reading instruction.

What is literacy?

Literacy is the ability to read, write, speak and listen in a way that lets us communicate effectively and make sense of the world.

Why are literacy skills important?

Having good literacy skills helps people at every stage of their life. As a child they will be able to succeed at school, as a young adult they will be able to compete in the job market, and as a parent they will be able to support their own child's learning. This makes for a fairer and more prosperous society.

People with low literacy skills may not be able to read a book or newspaper, understand road signs or price labels, make sense of a bus or train timetable, fill out a form, read instructions on medicines or use the internet.

Low levels of literacy undermine the UK’s economic competitiveness, costing the taxpayer £2.5 billion every year. A third of businesses in the UK are not satisfied with young people’s literacy skills when they enter the workforce and a similar number have organised remedial training for young recruits to improve their basic skills, including literacy and communication.

Reading Culture at SASB

St Andrew’s and St Bride’s is a Silver Accredited Reading School and we are on our way to achieving Gold! The Scottish Book Trust awarded us this status because of our high quality reading culture, cultivated through our Reading for Pleasure Programme.

Did you know that Children have many rights when it comes to reading? These include the basic human right to read and the right to access texts in print and digital formats.

At SASB we’re doing LOTS to support these rights and ensure that our pupils reap the benefits of reading. Our initiatives include:

  1. Reading at Registration in BGE

  2. Paired Reading at Registration

  3. Reciprocal Reading

  4. Literacy Leaders/Ambassadors

  5. Staff ‘What I’m Reading/Watching’ posters

  6. Book Week Scotland/World Book Day celebrations

  7. Rock and Read Book Club

  8. Extensive School Library

  9. Family Lending Library

The Benefits of Reading for Pleasure

Reading for pleasure has many non-literacy benefits and can increase empathy, improve relationships with others, reduce the symptoms of depression and improve wellbeing throughout life (The Reading Agency 2015).

Reading for pleasure has social benefits as well and can make people feel more connected to the wider community. Reading increases a person’s understanding of their own identity, improves empathy and gives them an insight into the world view of others (The Reading Agency 2015).

Students with more positive attitudes towards reading are more likely to read at or above the expected level for their age (Clark 2014).

There is a strong association between the amount of reading for pleasure students say they do and their reading achievement (Twist 2007).

Students who read for pleasure make significantly more progress in vocabulary, spelling and maths than children who read very little (Sullivan and Brown 2013).

Teachers who encourage students to read books of their choice for pleasure is a major contribution towards students developing a positive attitude towards reading and a life-long interest in reading. (International Reading Association, 2014).

Research has shown that children who enjoy reading are three times more likely to have good mental wellbeing than children who don’t enjoy it.

What does it mean to be 'Reading for Pleasure’ disadvantaged?

Those who are Reading for Pleasure ‘disadvantaged’ are the children who:  

  • are not often read-to and do not share books with others beyond school

  • do not show that they are engaged or interested in reading

  • may be falling behind in their reading skills (including phonics)

  • may be capable readers who choose not to read (have the skill but not the will)

A recent focus for the Literacy team has been the implementation of Reciprocal Reading and Paired Reading programmes throughout the year.

These focus on developing the pupils' understanding of various texts, helps them to develop their vocabulary and aims to improve reading comprehension.

Over the coming weeks, the literacy team will lead primary school transition visits to give our new cohort an understanding of the importance of literacy across all subjects in high school.

Massive thanks to Susan Brownlie for her lead on Reading for Pleasure, with next month's World Book Day being a particular highlight. Our pupils will enjoy some time at the Book Bistro, where they will be served tea and cake by Mrs Coulter and Mrs Mackie, before sitting back and enjoying a period to enjoy their favourite book. What a wonderful day!