Why reading matters at Saint Mary’s
At Saint Mary’s, we believe that reading is the key to unlocking a world of opportunities. Reading is a fundamental life skill that enables children to access every area of the curriculum, develop their knowledge and understanding, and become confident, independent learners. Through reading, children discover new ideas, cultures and perspectives, helping them to develop empathy, imagination and a lifelong love of learning.
We are committed to fostering a rich reading culture where every child is encouraged to read widely and often. Through high-quality texts, engaging class novels, dedicated reading lessons and opportunities to read for pleasure, we help children develop fluency, comprehension and a deep appreciation of literature. Reading not only supports academic achievement but also enhances vocabulary, communication skills, creativity and wellbeing.
At Saint Mary’s, we want every child to leave our school as a confident reader who is equipped with the skills, knowledge and enthusiasm to succeed in the next stage of their education and beyond. By nurturing a love of books and stories from an early age, we empower our pupils to become curious, informed and compassionate members of society.
Accelerated Reader at Saint Mary’s
At Saint Mary’s, we use Accelerated Reader (AR) to support and develop a lifelong love of reading. Accelerated Reader helps us to ensure that every child is reading books that are appropriately challenging, enabling them to build fluency, comprehension and confidence as readers.
Pupils complete a short quiz after finishing a book to demonstrate their understanding of what they have read. The programme provides teachers with valuable information about reading progress, allowing them to celebrate success, identify next steps and provide targeted support where needed. Children are encouraged to read regularly both in school and at home, helping them to develop positive reading habits and a genuine enjoyment of books.
At Saint Mary’s, Accelerated Reader forms part of our wider reading curriculum, alongside high-quality whole-class reading, story time, library visits and reading for pleasure opportunities. Through this approach, we aim to foster confident, enthusiastic readers who can access a rich variety of texts and achieve their full potential.
We celebrate reading achievements throughout the year, recognising pupils for their effort, progress and commitment to reading. By working in partnership with families, we ensure that every child is supported and encouraged on their reading journey.
Why reading regularly and completing Accelerated Reader quizzes matters:
At Saint Mary’s, we encourage all children to read regularly both at school and at home. Reading every day helps children develop fluency, build vocabulary, improve comprehension and grow in confidence as readers. The more children read, the more knowledge they gain about the world around them, supporting their learning across all areas of the curriculum.
Our Accelerated Reader programme helps children choose books that match their reading ability whilst providing the right level of challenge. After finishing a book, children complete a quiz to demonstrate their understanding of what they have read. These quizzes encourage children to read carefully, think deeply about the text and reflect on key characters, events and themes.
Completing quizzes also allows teachers to monitor progress, celebrate success and provide support where needed. By reading regularly and achieving success in their quizzes, children develop positive reading habits, become more independent readers and foster a lifelong love of books. At Saint Mary’s, we believe that every book read and every quiz completed is another step towards becoming a confident, successful reader.
