Students at King Alfred School Academy in Highbridge are benefiting from a new reading scheme that lets them pick books from a ‘Book Tree’ in the school’s English department.
The tree comprises of fiction books suitable for teenagers that have been donated by local residents.
English teacher Becky Hewlitt told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “With the help of lots of wonderful donations from the community it has been lovely to see children enjoying free books.”
“All pupils are welcome to come along and help themselves to a book to keep. There are plenty to suit all interests and ages.”
She added: “If you have any fiction suitable for teenagers then please bring them to student reception – they will be much loved and appreciated.”
David Herbert, Assistant Principal, added: “The tutor reading programme is in response to the ever-increasing vocabulary gap between readers and non-readers. Students are read to in tutor time while they track the words using a reading ruler.”
“This not only helps focus on new words, but to also increase the fluency of their reading. The books range from classics like ‘Lord of the Flies’ to recent books such as ‘Touching The Void’. We aim to develop a culture of reading and love of literature through this.”
If you have a book that made a difference to you as a child that you would like to pass on then please buy a copy, include a note about why you loved it so much, and the school will find it a new child to inspire.
