What staff can do
Libraries, displays and shelves matter, but much of what makes a school reading-friendly is what adults do with the pupils in front of them. This article looks at staff-led strategies and programs: the routines, pairings and activities that teachers, assistants and librarians can set up, often with very few resources. The physical features of the school, such as library layout and wall displays, are covered separately.
None of these approaches is guaranteed to raise any particular outcome, and schools differ widely in size, age range and resources. Treat the following as options to try, observe and adapt.
Build reading into the timetable
The most basic strategy is also the one most often squeezed: giving reading a regular, protected place in the week. Without it, reading is the first thing to give way to assemblies, trips and catching up on other subjects.
Options include:
- A short daily reading period. Ten to twenty minutes at a set time, when pupils read material of their own choosing. Staff reading alongside pupils reinforces the message.
- A weekly longer slot. Some schools set aside a longer session once a week for reading, discussion or library visits.
- Reading woven into other subjects. Science, history and math all involve reading, and teachers can point out how readers approach different kinds of text.
For independent reading time to work, pupils need material they can and want to read. Teachers often help by keeping a book box or a short recommended list in the room, checking in briefly with individuals, and keeping the atmosphere calm. A short chat (“What are you enjoying about that?”) usually works better than a written response every time.
Resist turning protected reading time into a hidden assessment. If pupils feel every session will be marked, many will choose safe, easy books to look good.
Pair pupils for buddy reading
Buddy reading matches pupils to read together, usually an older pupil with a younger one. It is popular because it can benefit both sides and costs very little.
A simple version looks like this:
- Match pupils carefully. Staff choose pairs who are likely to get along, with the older partner reading at a comfortable level. For an older pupil who finds reading hard, a younger partner’s picture books can be a dignified and useful challenge.
- Set a regular time. Fifteen to twenty minutes once or twice a week is typical.
- Offer a few simple routines. The older buddy might read aloud first, then invite the younger one to read a page, or to talk about the pictures. Pointing out a favorite part is as valuable as correcting a word.
- Prepare the older pupils. A brief session on being patient, letting the other child try, and avoiding pressure gives better results.
- Check in. Staff should watch for pairs that are not working and swap partners without blame.
Same-age buddy reading also works, particularly for sharing a text or talking about a book. The aim is companionship around reading rather than testing.
Keep reading aloud alive
Many pupils are read to in the early years and then rarely again. Yet older pupils often enjoy a teacher reading a chapter book aloud, and shared listening gives pupils with weaker reading skills access to stories beyond their own level. A teacher who spends ten minutes after lunch reading a novel installment, with no questions at the end, can create a shared experience for the class. Choose texts with care for age and context, and let pupils suggest titles where practical.
Start a small club or challenge
Voluntary activities give keen readers a chance to connect and give hesitant ones a gentle way in. Possible formats include a lunchtime book club, a kids book club run by a teacher or librarian, a class reading challenge with a loose theme such as “try a new genre”, or a shadowing activity where pupils read and discuss a short list of recently published titles.
Design these to include rather than rank. A challenge based on trying different kinds of reading, with a simple sticker or note rather than a leaderboard, tends to encourage exploration. Pupils who read audiobooks, graphic novels or magazines should be allowed to take part.
Use staff as visible readers
Pupils often notice what teachers read. Staff might:
- keep a “currently reading” sign on their door or desk
- talk briefly about a book that surprised them
- read during pupils’ reading time
- admit when they abandoned a book
Not every adult in a school is a keen reader, and that is fine. Staff can share anything they read, including magazines, cookbooks and news. Honesty about reading struggles can be encouraging, too. This is one place where teacher influence is felt in a way no program can replace.
Support those who need it
Strategies should not leave behind pupils who find reading difficult. Reading fluency can be built gently through repeated reading of short texts, paired reading with an adult, or audio support with text. Staff trained in specialist literacy support can advise on pupils with persistent difficulty. Teachers can alert the school’s special educational needs coordinator or equivalent staff member when concerns arise, and families can be involved early. Programs for struggling readers work best when they are private, respectful and focused on progress at the pupil’s own pace.
For pupils learning English, offering books in home languages alongside English texts, and pairing them with friendly buddies, can make the whole environment feel welcoming.
Review and adjust
Choose a small number of strategies and run them for a term before judging. Ask staff and pupils what they like, and what feels forced. Observe whether pupils are choosing to read more outside the sessions, whether borrowed books are being read, and whether quieter pupils are taking part. Drop what does not work and keep what does. Programs that fit the school’s actual routines and staff capacity last longer than ambitious ones that rely on a single enthusiastic teacher.