Literature and Drop Everything and Read

As part of our reading policy and offer we celebrate a love of really great literature!

Intent:

Students at Avalon School can read and enjoy a range of classic and contemporary literature during their time at school.

Texts are used as a hook to:

• Enjoy and read a range of texts for pleasure.
• Explore key themes.
• Use texts to support English teaching and learning, including reading and writing and learning key concepts.

Implementation by teachers:

Students ‘study’ a text for half a term and then continue to read this text for pleasure during DEAR for the next half term whilst the English focus changes to a non-fiction focus.  This allows deeper immersion into the text and the opportunity to finish a book if appropriate.

Investigative learners will access more text and may read a whole book over the course of a term, exploratory learners may access well-chosen excerpts and experiential learners will experience the story in an entirely sensory way.  All learners will use tactile and sensory elements to deepen their understanding of the text, for example, when we are learning about the mystery genre, we might turn off the lights to create an atmosphere.  Teachers will link the text with reading and writing outcomes and use them to teach characterisation, plot, literary devices, setting, symbolism, theme, point of view, tone. Structure, metaphor, irony and mood. 

Choosing Texts, questions to ask:

• Can our students see themselves mirrored in this text? Are their voices, stories and experiences represented?
• Does the text offer a window into experiences, voices and stories different from my students’ own?
• Are we using literature as an opportunity to offer a social, moral, spiritual and cultural education?
• Will this text spark interest and curiosity? Will it help my students build more motivation to read?
• Does interacting with this text offer opportunities for students to develop relevant and enduring knowledge, skills and understanding?
• How can we support all students in their encounters with these texts so they can have a successful reading experience?

Students should also have agency over choosing a text and spend time in the library or book corner during D.E.A.R. or leisure time.  Can they self-occupy with a book?

Impact:

Literature texts are a hook for discussion across the curriculum and themes can be used to explore PSHE topics, therefore the impact is far-reaching.

Texts are sequenced to support key skills taught in English and genre is repeated over two or three years and three key stages to support deeper understanding of literature.

Sounds-Write phonics diagnostics will be used to assess technical reading ability with teachers using English milestones where appropriate.

Please see our texts to experience, explore and read for 24-25:

 

Year C 24-25
Key Stage	Autumn 1	Autumn 2	Spring 1	Spring 2	Summer 1	Summer 2
KS3	Fantasy   Text: The Indian in the Cupboard, Lynne Reid Banks	Non-Fiction   Information about me	Comedic Fiction Text:  The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Sue Townsend	Non-Fiction  Comprehension Using notes, letters and emails	Drama   Text: Collected Grimm Tales, Carol Ann Duffy	Non-Fiction   Flyers and Posters
KS4	Fantasy  Text: Skellig, David Almond		Mystery  Text: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon		Poetry  Text: An Anthology of War Poetry, Various
Sixth Form	Satire  Text:  Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift		Drama   Text:  Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Tennessee Williams		Texts from Other Cultures   Text:  Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe