This year the Reading Agenda at BMS has gathered speed.  The reason being, is that we believe literacy underpins success in every element of education.  For example, the recent changes to the mathematics syllabus means that the majority of questions require an advanced grasp of literacy just to understand what the question is asking, before employing any numeracy skills at all.

In addition to academic success, if a person wishes to indulge in their favourite hobby, being able to read and owning an extensive vocabulary will facilitate this as they will be able to access a greater variety of articles, blogs and online tutorials.

As a result, a number of Drop Everything And Read (DEAR) events have been scheduled at BMS.  Two have already taken place and another four are planned.  For each DEAR event, three quick rings of the school bell signify the start and on hearing this, all students and staff literally drop everything and read (all students have a reading book in their bag).  Three additional bells signal the end of the DEAR event and then the lesson continues as normal.

Ideally, our intention is to develop a love of reading in each and every student.  As parents / carers, you play a crucial role in this.  The more a child witnesses their parents / carers read, the more likely they are to copy.  The more often you encourage and praise your child for reading the greater the chance they will do so.  The more interest you take (by asking questions about what they are reading) the more often they will read.  The more apt the reading material the more chance there is of a child reading – so perhaps you could ask what your child enjoys and then help them to find something that they enjoy (magazines and newspapers and just as beneficial as books).

Here are some photographs of the most recent DEAR event at BMS.  Happy reading everyone!