Dedicated Library Lessons

Built into the English curriculum, Year 7 and 8 students have a timetabled Library lesson. Through this lesson, they are immersed in the environment of the Library and follow a curriculum that encourages reading for pleasure and teaches explicit reading skills. Students are taught how to use the Library correctly and how to navigate and select reading materials. Please see below for more information:

Year 7 Library Lessons

Students for the first 30 minutes of each session work through a study booklet which explores various ideas linking to reading and the Library. Topics covered include:

• - Fiction versus non-fiction
• - Generic conventions of non-fiction
• - Introduction to the Dewey Decimal System
• - Genre
• - The Library Catalogue and searching for books
• - Reading strategies
• - Dictionary and thesaurus usage

The second half of the lesson provides students with time to utilise the Library and select or renew a Library book to take home. There is an expectation that students engage in reading as part of their home-learning. Additionally, during this time each class will engage with a ‘class reader’ where the teacher will read aloud to students in order to foster a love of reading. Some of our Year 7 ‘class readers’ are:

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Trash by Andy Mulligan

White Feather by David MacPhail

Boy by Roald Dahl

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Year 8 Library Lessons

The Year 8 Library lesson curriculum builds upon the Library skills taught in Year 7. Through a reading-based, research project pupils implement the skills taught in Year 7 in a practical way. Students will create a hypothesis, to research over the course of their Library lessons. They will be guided to use a range of text types (particularly non-fiction, allowing for challenge) to help research their chosen question. Throughout the programme, students will learn how to evaluate the credibility of information and to use reading for a purpose, to research. They will learn to question the reliability of texts, from a variety of sources. At the end of the research project, students will deliver the findings from their thesis in the form of a presentation, to develop oracy skills and our students' ability to articulate their opinions. Year 8 Library lessons will incorporate the FOSIL inquiry principles (Framework Of Skills for Inquiry Learning).  This is an approach that follows research-led learning, where the pupil is empowered to research, using a scaffolded framework. This will develop a culture of reading to learn.

The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon

A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

“it was really good to be in the environment of Library, we learnt how to actually use the Library properly” – JH Year 8

“its great to take time out of your day to read, it also encourages me to continue reading at home” – MC Year 8