Reading

At Rowdha International Academy, we recognise the importance of reading fluently to access all aspects of the curriculum. Students need to become confident readers in order to successfully communicate both within their school lives and outside of school. By reading more often and broadly, students develop the ability to access different types of text, as well as their written and spoken literacy. We encourage students to read in many different areas of school, outlined below.

Reading for Pleasure in English
Students in KS3 have one 'Reading for Pleasure' lesson per week as part of their English lessons. In this lesson, students read with their English teacher, who teaches them the skills necessary to access difficult texts. Classes read a range of extracts, novels and non-fiction, gaining exposure to different genres and concepts within literature, as well as different cultures, traditions and time periods. The Reading for Pleasure lessons complement the KS3 curriculum in English, provide background knowledge for the KS4 curriculum, and link subjects together, such as history and English. Year 7 and Year 8 are currently enjoying reading about the origins of literature, including ancient myths and legends, whilst Year 9 and Year 10 are exploring rhetoric across history.

Reading Interventions
Some students require more support to gain confidence in their reading ability. At Rowdha, we believe that every student can learn to read successfully if provided with the right assistance. We test every student at the beginning of the academic year using a standardised reading test to identify students who might struggle with their reading. We then run interventions with these students in order to catch up their reading skills to their chronological age. In Years 7 and 8, we run small phonics intervention groups, using the Ruth Miskin Fresh Start programme, to aid students who need help with learning to read. We run small reading groups, using the SRA reading programme, to aid students in their understanding of the reading they complete.