Winners

 

Congratulations to both Sadif and Sema who both won the lucky dip prize as part of the Reading Survey and IL Year 7 Survey last term. They both win a signed book – one by Malcolm Rose and one by Terry Caffrey.

Reading Across the Curriculum

Banging on again about the focus on Literacy and Reading for Pleasure – well it is my main passion!

Many  teachers who have experienced the new Ofsted framework have been faced with this question:-

 

“What are you doing to promote reading for pleasure in your subject?”

 

So to offer some support to teachers I have been setting up Pinterest boards based upon different areas of the curriculum. This is mainly a request service so far, and over the weekend I have been working on Pinterest boards for Health; Microbes; Diet, and Plants.

 

http://pinterest.com/sarahlmasters/

Measuring Attitudes to Reading

This year with greater emphasis being placed upon Literacy and Reading for Pleasure (at last) the MRC is currently measuring the Year 7’s Attititude to Reading (ATR) and giving them a score – 1 Outstanding; 2 Good; 3 Satisfactory or 4 Unsatisfactory.

I have sent each our of 350 year 7 students a quick email link to my online survey and during their first IL lesson with me I help them logon; open their emails and complete the survey, it is a bit of a steep learning curve for some of them! But I’m about halfway through and the results are interesting so  far – with many more regarding themselves as a good reader who enjoys reading, rather than “I hate reading”. Still it’s good to know so we can target our services and give targetted support to those who need it.

Well that’s the big challenge for the MRC this academic year!

New Books – check them out!

 Liam O’Conner should have died at sea in 1912. 

Maddy Carter should have died on a plane in 2010. 

Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2026. 

But all three have been given a second chance – to work for an agency that no one knows exists. 

It’s purpose: to prevent time travel destroying history……..

 

Read this exciting new Time Riders series now available in the MRC on the New Books display situated on the counter.

 

Book of the Week

 

 Click HERE to find out if this book is still available from the MRC.

 

Mobile Learning – Welcomed in the MRC

Those of you who are “alive-alert-awake” will have noticed the new Mobile Learning posters in the Gutenberg area of the MRC.

This means that you can use your mobile phone, iPad, blackberry etc to check/send emails; use the internet; use educational Apps; read an ebook etc.

 

But if you want to listen to music or make (or take) a phonecall you need to go somewhere else.

So silent mobile learning is acceptable, and encouraged – why not come and tell me what your favourite App is at the moment!

The Reading Agenda

Last week during the Staff Training Days we introduced to teachers the Reading Agenda and the RWC (M) as mentioned frequently in the new Ofsted inspections. RWC(M) = Reading, Writing, Communication and Maths.

 

As part of this I had a slot to show:

 

• how important the role of tutor/teacher is – with them reading during SSR sessions (Sustained Silent Reading or DEAR) rather than marking, doing admin tasks, their students are likely to perform 10-20% in reading tests.

   

• What the MRC is doing this academic year to support and promote Reading for Pleasure

   

• Some of the MRC services that are available to staff to support ‘Literacy Across the Curriculum’ as Ofsted Inspectors are asking individual subject teachers “What are you doing to support Reading for PLeasure in your subject?”

   

 

Drop in on DEAR 5.4

The current focus of the Authors Page on the DEAR Homepage is…

Maurice Sendak and his classic picture book: Where the Wild Things Are

  

 Available to borrow from the MRC – coming soon!

Book of the Week

 

 Click HERE to find out if this book is still available from the MRC.

 

Welcome Back Everyone!

Oh it’s good to be back!

 

Hope you all had a good break over the Summer holidays and managed to squeeze in some holiday reading!

If you borrowed books from the MRC these will now need to be handed back in or horrible things will be happening, and this can easily be avoided.

If you still haven’t finished you can renew the book and keep it for another 4 weeks – you can visit Oliver and do this yourself OR pop into the MRC and we’ll sort that out for you.

 

Here is a reminder about all things to do with the MRC.

Click to view the online guide to the MRC.