Starting in Reception, if a child reads for 20 minutes a day at home, they will hear approximately 1.8 million words per year. They will have read for 851 hours by Year 6 and on standardized tests, they will likely score better than 90% of their peers. This is compelling data on the benefits of encouraging your child to read.
(And that’s not forgetting all the other benefits such as the weird and wonderful adventures children will experience; or the moments of laughter and empathy they will encounter; or the appreciation of other cultures and generations that they may learn about through reading… I could go on!)
With the introduction of Accelerated Reader last year in Years 2 to 6, we have seen huge gains with our Reading for Pleasure across the school. Teachers are regularly having conversations with children about books they are reading or have finished reading and furthermore, and perhaps the most rewarding, we are witnessing children who didn’t enjoy reading last year starting books already excited for the sequels that are yet to be released!
Since September, we have had three children, Lexi, Diya and Imene, who have all achieved the incredible ‘Millionaire Reader’ accolade. This means the children have read a million words since September and gained all the benefits that goes alongside reading a million words! They have made their way onto the Accelerated Reader Honours board and we strongly encourage as many children as possible to aim to achieve this award by the end of the year… you even get a badge too!
Lexi explains her love of reading below and what it felt like to be the first Edenhurst Millionaire Reader of 2020:
“Since my Mums read to me as a baby, I have always enjoyed reading. When I read, I really feel that I am going into the world that the author has created for me. (Sometimes this can be a problem when teachers ask me questions as I can get so absorbed into my book!! 😉
Becoming the first millionaire reader has felt like a huge achievement and I really recommend that other children try to read a million words as well. If you have watched a film and you know there is a book version of the film, I think that you should read the book as usually they go into much more detail- and I always prefer the book to the film!”
Mrs Bennett & Lexi Ryan (Head Girl)
Categories: Prep 6
