Reading

“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or a duty,

it should be offered as a precious gift.”

- Kate DiCamillo

“There is more treasure in books than all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.”

- Walt Disney

At Moor Park, reading lies at the heart of our curriculum. We believe that reading is an essential life skill and it is our intent to empower children to become lifelong readers by fostering a love of reading through listening to and interacting with a variety of literature.

Our aim is for children to be absorbed in rich opportunities to enjoy and celebrate reading so we encourage regular book talk allowing children to share stories, collect new vocabulary, make recommendations and ask questions.

We ensure our reading curriculum is broad and balanced, offering a wide variety of poetry, fiction and non-fiction texts. We have carefully selected books as mirrors; enabling children to see themselves and their own lives reflected in stories. We also share books which act as windows; allowing children to visit unfamiliar, exciting and imaginary worlds where they can meet new people from different backgrounds.

Our teachers read widely and are able to source and recommend books to suit the needs, interests and tastes of our children and draw on this knowledge to inform book choices and lesson planning.

We understand the value of reading aloud and we have set aside a dedicated time for this every day. This time enables children to encounter and enjoy stories they might not otherwise meet.