Reading Day at Whitchurch High School

As part of the Cardiff county wide literacy initiative Whitchurch English department in partnership with UWIC PGCE Education department is running a reading day on Monday 25th January 2010 in lower school. All year 7 classes will be given the chance to read a short story in a small group to practise their reading and comprehension skills.

Over 21 future English teachers from UWIC Cyncoed and a group of English specialists from Whitchurch led by Kirsty Price will give individual guidance and encouragement to pupils in the first initiative of its kind to be held in Wales. The whole of year 7 will complete a survey about their reading commitment and will be encouraged to express their own preferences in literature in order to inform future choice of year 7 novels.

Stephen Clark, Assistant Head Teacher and literacy coordinator outlines the 6 main aims of the scheme for the staff:

• Promote reading for students of all abilities
• Reduce the number of pupils who are non-functional in their reading
• Improve the range of reading undertaken by our pupils, particularly at home
• Made reading a pleasure, not a chore.
• Help pupils achieve more confidence as independent readers.
• Further promote reading widely at home and in school.

These school objectives have been reinforced by a four step pupil declaration for the reading day:

• Reading is fun
• I am good at reading
• I can always continue to improve my reading
• I read everywhere and in all my subjects