How many books do you read with your class?

By on September 5, 2009 in Education News, Literacy, Research

The BBC recently reported on some new research which states that a quarter of children read just one book with their teacher each year. This is due to the use of extracts, rather than reading (and enjoying) entire stories.

How many books do you read with your class each year? I generally read lots of short stories, but try to read longer stories when possible. Although reading with the class is one of my favourite parts of the job, one of my concerns is having time to fit it in.

What do you think?

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  • lisa

    we read one a term per class and use these as our story topic, a cross curricular topics.

  • http://www.teachingideas.co.uk markwarner

    Thanks for your comment. I started reading ‘The Twits’ to my class this week. They (and I) have been loving it, so much so that we’ve almost finished it!

  • http://www.digital-teacher.co.uk Simon

    Hi Mark,
    I agree with you about the need to ensure the children hear a story from cover from cover, because unfortunately not many of them have the opportunity to listen to a long story being read over time at home.
    At my school we have taken the decision this year that from 9 – 9.30 one morning each week the lower school classes will spend that half an hour just listening to the teacher read from a book. My class are currently listening to me read Mathilda, and they love it.

    • http://www.teachingideas.co.uk markwarner

      That’s a great idea… I think it needs to be planned into the timetable whenever possible, otherwise it can regularly be one of those things that gets squeezed out.

  • Tricia

    I try and read aloud for the last 20 minutes most days )Lower Key Stage 2) and we read whole books but it isn’t officially timetabled. (I wish it was!) Also the children read whole books in guided reading sessions. But I get frustrated by continued use of extracts in some literacy planning (not my own!)

  • Rheinhardt

    Generally I read one every half term if possible linked to a topic being undertaken – e.g. History/Blitzed by Swindell/The Butterfly Lion by Morpurgo or for PHSE The Angel of Nitshill Road. I will also use stories from around the world/short stories.


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