Modelling Reading - Reflection from TL Residential School

Modelling reading to students is an important teaching strategy. As a result of group discussion at the TL residential school it was highlighted the importance of modelling reading to students. I will now be building 10-15 minutes of reading myself into my lesson plans for each of my Year 7 and 8 Library Reading Programme classes each week. Considering our classes are 55 minutes in length, there is certainly scope to add this to my library lessons. The whole idea of the Reading Programme is to encourage students to engage in reading and to enjoy reading for pleasure. Having now read for 15 minutes in my classes on Monday and Tuesday this week, it proved to be a most worthwhile exercise as the students asked me about the book I was reading after the lesson. I am currently reading The Ghost Child by Sonya Hartnett and the boys have now started asking me questions about what I think of this book. I discussed this strategy with the College Librarian and she completely supports my efforts to model reading in front of the students.