Y7 Reading Project

We are now at the mid-way point in the Reading Project which has been a fantastic success thus far. The book we have been reading is Cosmic by Frank Cottrell-Boyce. It’s witty and engaging and ends up being rather moving as we see Liam and Florida negotiate tricky relationships and some downright ludicrous situations. As Cottrell-Boyce is an author enjoyed by many, some students have read Cosmic before; we have been impressed with how they have supported their peers in paired and class discussion, accessing the deeper levels of the text. Y7s have commented on how lovely it has been to read and discuss the big issues it raises together. When I have visited classrooms I have experienced that wonderful blend of quiet yet enthusiastic listening and reading from the students. You can see this in their posture and body language. It is such a pleasure to feel it in the rooms and to hear snippets of conversations at break.

"Why I read aloud to my teenagers"

Last month, Giulia Rhodes wrote a piece in the Guardian about Meghan Cox Gurdon (children’s literature reviewer for the Wall Street Journal) entitled "Why I read aloud to my teenagers" where she explores why story time isn’t just for young children but is an enriching experience for people of all ages: "Yes, those times with very young children are heavenly, but telling stories is a source of pleasure that has been available to human beings of all ages since before the printed word. The fact it has dwindled into something for children does not mean it needs to stay there".

She points out that far from being a solitary pastime where we can explore the worlds of others on our own, reading is something that can bring us closer together and creates a space to share an experience which many modern media forms do not. "It is an extraordinary distillation of the good things that we want in our lives. We need human connectedness. Many of us want richness of story and culture and language, something that is deeper than Twitter."

You can read the full article here:
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/feb/09/why-i-read-aloud-to-my-teenagers

As we move into the second week of the project please continue to talk to your children about Cosmic and perhaps this might even be a good time to pick up a book and build in time to read as a family. Or perhaps you already are? Either way I’d love to hear your experience of reading with secondary aged (or older) children.

Sarah Lester
Lead Practitioner (English)
slester@aclandburghley.camden.sch.uk