Engaging Students in Reading

What staff will know, value and be able to do:

• Explain how reading for pleasure supports student wellbeing, confidence and attainment, and why it matters in your school library

• Recognize what motivates different students to read, and how interests, age and reading confidence vary across the school

• Reflect student interests in your day-to-day reading offer rather than relying on staff assumptions about what students should read

• Start informal conversations with students about their reading in ways that feel natural and put reluctant readers at ease

• Value peer recommendation as one of the strongest influences on what students choose to read

• Set up reader to reader program so students share their reading experiences and inspire each other to try new books

• Use downloadable resources to make student recommendations visible and attractive around the library

• Analyze book covers to understand the reading experience a book offers and match books to individual students

• Plan and run simple, enjoyable reading activities that fit the school year, including whole-school reading programs

• Build a routine that keeps student voices at the center of how the library promotes reading