- Home
- Enrichment
- The Library
Teddington School supports reading for learning and for pleasure in school and beyond. There are many well-documented benefits to reading for pleasure, for students and for adults. All students are encouraged to access our library. Books may be borrowed at break time or during lunch periods.
Generally, students may borrow up to two books for two weeks, with exceptions at the discretion of the librarian. In case of overdue books, students will be reminded through their form tutor and subsequently through an email home.
We strive to maintain a stimulating, exciting, inclusive selection of up-to-date reading material, both fiction and non-fiction, through a budget, support from PTA and good quality donations.
The school is always grateful for book donations. We ask that donated books are in excellent condition so they are more appealing to students.
If you would like to donate any books, please contact our school librarian Mrs Ricker by emailing rickers@teddingtonschool.org
Mrs Ricker offers the following tips for reading for pleasure:
- Be open to a broad definition of reading: manga, graphic novels, audiobooks, fan fiction, poetry and more all count as reading.
- Read what captures your interest. It doesn’t have to impress anyone or be a certain ‘level.’
- Make reading comfortable, physically and mentally. Adjust the light, wrap up in a blanket, or pop on headphones to make yourself more comfortable.
- You don’t have to keep reading any book that is too hard or uninteresting to you. If you are not compelled to keep reading by page 50, find another book.
- Re-reading books builds confidence and fluency.
- Audiobooks are great for pronunciation, memory, and critical thinking skills.
- Keep lists of books you’ve read and suggestions of what to read next.
- Let others see you read. It can set an example for people in your home and in the community.
- Share the love of reading by reading with others, book groups, and recommendations.
- Your public library is a great resource and, beyond paper books, has eBooks, audiobooks, movies, music, Large Print books, book groups, language conversation clubs, and more. Richmond Borough library cards are available to anyone who lives, studies, or works in Richmond Borough.
Benefits of Reading
There are many, well-documented benefits to reading for pleasure:
- Reading for pleasure can increase empathy, improve relationships with others, reduce the symptoms of depression and improve wellbeing throughout life (The Reading Agency 2015).
- Students with more positive attitudes towards reading are more likely to read at or above the expected level for their age (Clark 2014).
- Reading for pleasure has social benefits and can make people feel more connected to the wider community. It increases a person’s understanding of their own identity and gives them an insight into the world view of others (The Reading Agency 2015).
- There is a strong association between the amount of reading for pleasure students say they do and their reading achievement (Twist 2007).
- Students who read for pleasure make significantly more progress in vocabulary, spelling and maths than children who read very little (Sullivan and Brown 2013).
- The encouraging of students to read books of their choice for pleasure by school staff is a major contribution towards them developing a positive attitude towards reading and a life-long interest in reading. (International Reading Association, 2014).
