“A reader lives a thousand lives…” George R.R. Martin

We are really excited to have launched our Tutor Reading Programme for all students in Years 7-10, which takes place during registration.  The reading programme is based on 24 books chosen by our English subject team, that cover a range of genres.  The programme is very structured and has the following key principles that are all based on the latest research into reading strategies:

• 6 books are allocated to each year group and tutors will aim to read as many as possible over the course of the year.  A student joining in Year 7 is estimated to read over 2 million words by the end of Year 10!
• Reading takes place during registration time lasting around 20 minutes.
• The tutor always reads to the students. This helps students to follow the story, as well as modelling key aspects of reading such as pace, pausing, tone and expression.
• All students are expected to follow the reading, line by line, by tracking with a ruler or bookmark.

Texts have been selected carefully to ensure that the range of narratives available address age-appropriate themes, but offer a high level of challenge too.  We are dedicated to ensuring that progress is made at every stage of your child’s learning journey, and are sure that this new initiative will provide endless opportunities for that. We invite parents to regularly engage with their child about the books being read.

Strategies for supporting your child at home:

Be interested - ask about the book daily – plot, characters, themes, predictions

Be sensitive - ensure students have chance to discuss delicate themes that arise

Be aware - feel free to purchase and read the book that your child is reading
(as long as they don’t jump ahead in the book beyond their peers!)

Be relaxed - offer a calm, stress-free environment that cultivates enthusiasm

Be an example - let your child see you reading for pleasure on a regular basis at home 

We encourage our students, with support from their parents, to continue to develop their literacy skills.  Just 20 minutes reading per day can help pupils make progress. Listed below are some links to a variety of websites which we hope you will enjoy.

There is so much information available and we've put together a few suggestions:

Video showing how Amrit Birdi illustrated the cover of the new Alex Rider graphic novel, Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz and Antony Johnston

BookTrust website including Cressida Cowell reading from ‘How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm’

Literacy Trust Family Zone providing reading resources and activities for different ages.

Scottish Book Trust authors on demand

Shakespeare Week resources themed around the bard and his plays – for our Years 7-10 who are all studying Shakespeare in their English lessons this half term

Toppsta with books of the month and other activities, including the opportunity to review books you've read

World Book Day Masterclasses offering writing tips, creative resources and "academy" lessons

Neil Gaiman reads ‘The Graveyard Book’

Garth Nix reads extracts from his books

Jeff Norton reads his book ‘Alienated’

Tom Palmer if you enjoy Tom's books, take a look at his website for free reads and an opportunity to "meet" him

Marcus Sedgwick reads ‘Floodland’

David Walliams reads ‘The Boy in the Dress’

If you have any suggestions, ideas, queries or feedback please contact:

Head of Literacy: Ms E Bosley ebosley@esherhigh.surrey.sch.uk

Librarian: Mrs B Smith bsmith@esherhigh.surrey.sch.uk​