Reading pupil voice

Date: 6th May 2019 @ 5:58pm

I wanted to share with everyone some work I have been doing in school  with reading on ' pupil voice,'  as governor with a link to English. This area is a focus of development and over the year I have been spending time with a number of volunteers hearing many children read. It is always a pleasurable activity as the children really enjoy engaging with their books, proudly showing how they are improving. They love telling us about their books and as we question them to see how they comprehend/ understand the storylines, actions of characters and predicting next events we learn so much about their reading skills.

Here are a few of their ' voices' in response to their reading.

"I read every night because I can go into a magic world when I lie in my bed before I go to sleep."

"I love reading about fairies because they are special."     "I like books about trains and things that move." " I like listening to stories through my headphones then I can follow the words." " The best bit of the day is when my Mum reads to me at bedtime."     " I I have read every word today and that makes me proud."  " I want to write a book sometime then I will be important."  

" If my book has tractors in it, it is really good to look at."  " if I get stuck on words I know my phonics will help me." 

" I like picture books best because they help me read." " I am a good reader because I practise a lot."   " My favourite book is 'Winnie the Pooh' as he has lots of fun adventures and helps people."    " I have a book at home about a wobbly tooth. It is really funny."   "I like books about animals. They are my favourite."

" I like poems best because they can rhyme. I used to know a lot of nursery rhymes when I was little."     "  I don't like dragons. They are fierce."     " Biff, Chip, Kipper and Floppy are my best friends. I like reading about them."   "  I like it when we do book buddies as the big children help me read and talk about the pictures."  

" I really liked working on ' The Green Ship '  book. It helped me to do some lovely writing when I did my own setting and changed the characters. It was fun."

" The books the teachers share with us are lovely. I like them on the whiteboard because I can see them as well as look at the pictures." 

It was lovely to talk to the children and gather their thoughts and ideas as they enter that magical, imaginative world of fiction, but also want to to hear more in the future about which non- fiction areas they enjoy.

Dorothy Milner . Chair of Governors.