Reading
At St Marie's, we passionately believe that reading is fundamental to education. Without the ability to read, so much is closed off to a child and later as an adult. We want not only to inspire children through books, but also to promote a love of reading to empower our children to become life-long readers. Reading is at the core of our curriculum; we endeavour to immerse our pupils in the wonders of quality texts in order to instil a love for reading, a passion for discovery and a confidence to explore their imagination.
At St Marie's, we follow Read, Write, Inc. in Early Years and Key Stage 1, which enables children to develop reading fluency and comprehension, spell and write with confidence and learn to articulate their ideas and understanding. As children progress to Key Stage 2, we follow a quality text-based approach to reading, incorporating choral reading and reciprocal reading strategies into our daily lessons.
Our Library
Our school library offers a diverse collection of high-quality books to inspire a love of reading. We offer our pupils a range of genres to choose from which cater to a wide range of interests including historical fiction, mystery, humour, sci-fi and much more. Each class has a dedicated library session every week, giving pupils the opportunity to explore new books, engage in book talk where they can recommend books to their peers and enjoy a quiet space for reading. Our goal is to foster curiosity, creativity, and a lifelong passion for learning through the power of books.
Reading for Pleasure
Book Swap Shed
On our playground, we have a Book Swap Shed, a special little space where pupils can exchange books and discover new stories. The idea is simple: bring a book, take a book!Once a pupil has finished reading a book at home, they can bring it to the shed and swap it for another one. This encourages a love for reading, helps books find new homes, and ensures that everyone has access to fresh and exciting stories. The Book Swap Shed is a great way to share, recycle, and explore the joy of books with family and friends!
Bedtime Stories
Our Bedtime Story Station in Nursery and Reception is a special area designed to help parents borrow books to read with their children at home. It’s filled with a selection of lovely bedtime stories, chosen to create calm, comforting, and enjoyable reading experiences before sleep. Parents can choose a book, take it home, and return it when they’re ready, encouraging a routine of nightly storytelling. This initiative helps foster a love of reading from an early age, strengthens the bond between parents and children, and supports early language development in a fun and engaging way.
Storytime
Our Storytime Sessions in Nursery and Reception are designed to encourage a love of reading by inviting parents into school to share stories with their children. These sessions create a warm, engaging environment where our parents, children, and teachers come together to enjoy interactive storytelling, songs, and rhymes. By involving parents, we show the importance of reading at home and inspire families to make storytelling a regular and enjoyable part of daily life.
Themed Days
Our recent Harry Potter Themed Day was a magical opportunity to immerse children in the world of books and ignite their love for reading. The day was filled with exciting activities, including story sessions and games of Quidditch. Pupils and staff dressed up as their favourite characters and explored the magic of storytelling. The aim was to make reading fun, bring stories to life and encourage children to explore books beyond the classroom. We wonder what our next themed day will be?
Book Fairs
Featuring regularly on our school calendar, are our Book Fairs which provide our pupils with the opportunity to access fresh reading material, fostering a lifelong reading habit. The fairs also help to build excitement around books, turning reading into a fun and engaging experience.
External Visits and Workshops
As part of our commitment to promoting a love of reading, our school has taken part in a range of external visits and workshops focused on reading. Our pupils have attended storytelling workshops at the LFC Foundation, where they engaged in interactive sessions designed to inspire creativity and a passion for stories. We have also welcomed visits from Mighty Red as part of the ‘Feed Your Mind’ project, which not only encouraged reading for pleasure but also included generous donations of books to enrich our school library. Additionally, our students have benefited from engaging storytelling workshops delivered by the National Literacy Trust.
Young Readers Programme
Our school is proud to be part of the National Literacy Trust’s Young Readers Programme, which aims to inspire a lifelong love of reading in children. Through this initiative, our Year 2, 3, and 4 pupils take part in exciting book events throughout the year, where they have the opportunity to explore a variety of books and choose their own to take home and keep. By participating in this programme, we are fostering a strong reading culture within our school, ensuring that every child has access to high-quality literature and the chance to develop a deep and lasting love of reading.
Author and Poet Visits
On 21st March, we will welcome local poet, Levi Tafari, into school to help us celebrate World Poetry Day. We look forward to taking part in poetry performance, poetry workshops and a Q&A session with Levi. Author Tom Palmer (a firm favourite of our pupils) recently sent us some wonderful resources for our school library which we were very grateful for! We look forward to the publishing of his new book 'Liverpool’s Greatest Moments!' which some of our pupils suggested ideas for in a recent writing competition.
Reading Ambassadors
Our school is proud to have a dedicated team of Reading Ambassadors – a group of passionate and enthusiastic readers who play a key role in promoting a love of reading throughout the school. These pupils meet regularly to discuss reading initiatives, share ideas for events and special themed days, and review reading materials to ensure we have a diverse and engaging selection of books. They also provide valuable suggestions for new books to add to our library and classrooms, helping to ensure our collection reflects the interests and needs of all pupils. In addition to their leadership role, Reading Ambassadors support their peers by offering reading recommendations, assisting younger pupils with their reading, and helping to create an inspiring reading culture across the school. Through their dedication and enthusiasm, they help to make reading an exciting and inclusive experience for everyone.
Library Visits
Classes regularly visit our local library, giving children the opportunity to experience a public library setting, explore a wide range of books, and develop a love for reading beyond the classroom. These visits allow pupils to learn how a library operates, understand how to borrow books and engage in storytelling sessions. Additionally, they have the chance to explore the archives, discovering local history and gaining insight into the past through historical documents and exhibits. By fostering a connection with Kirkby Library, we aim to inspire lifelong reading habits and help our pupils see the library as a valuable resource for learning and enjoyment.
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