Picture this: a primary teacher is presented with three wishes… would one of those wishes be for their class love reading and to choose to read? Absolutely. Along with endless glue sticks. And whiteboard pens. And pencils! There is something magical about reading, not to mention the incredible social and academic benefits  – whereby you’re transported head-first into an alternative dimension with a chance to escape reality.

At Roade English Hub, we are always asked how teachers can promote reading for pleasure in Key Stage 2. We have found that there are countless, effortless tips and tricks to enthuse and excite children, the first being to ensure that the books which are read aloud are engaging, of a high-quality and a little more challenging than they may be able to access independently. Some examples of these could be:

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

It is possible that we underestimate the sheer influence we have, as adults, to inspire young people to read. Something as straight forward as wandering around the school environment whilst clutching a book to your chest will automatically generate curiosity and conversation: “What’s that you’re holding?” “Oh – my new book…shall I read you the blurb? Have you heard of this author? Here’s another I have of a similar genre!” Wrapping books up in brown paper and scribbling on an extract or the blurb will undoubtedly pique the interest of your class, especially if you hold a vote to select your next class read. Ensure the unwrapping of the book is exciting, encouraging lots of ‘ooohs’ and ‘ahhhhs’ from your audience!
The most effective way of encouraging reading for pleasure? Talk. Talk about books you love, books that scared you, books that kept you up until midnight reading, books that surprised you or books where you correctly predicted the ending! Spend 15 minutes (at least!) reading to your class and really get to know what your children love. Reading really is the best thing in the world.