"Adolescents entering the adult world in the 21st century will need to read and write more than at any other time in human history. They will need advanced levels of literacy to perform their jobs, run their households, act as citizens, and conduct their personal lives. They will need literacy to cope with the flood of information they will find everywhere they turn. They will need literacy to feed their imaginations, so they can create the world of the future. In a complex, and sometimes dangerous world, the ability to read can be crucial." — International Reading Association, (Moore et al, 1999, p. 3 as cited by Clark & Rumbold, 2006).

How does it work at PNBHS?

Sustained Silent Reading happens daily at the beginning of period five for 15 minutes. It is expected that both students and staff engage in reading an extended text (novel, non-fiction book, graphic novel) during this time. It is hoped that by reading extended texts during this time, boys will be encouraged to continue reading outside of school time.

How can you help your son with SSR?

• Encourage your son to bring his SSR book to school. What books do you have at home that he could read? Does he have books of his own? Does he have access to the public library?

• Be passionate about reading. Encourage your son to view reading as a positive and enjoyable experience in itself, rather than just a way to develop skills.

• Participate – Adolescents read more when they see adults such as parents and teachers reading. It’s particularly powerful for boys to see adult males engaged in reading. Reading has also been linked with a reduction in the symptoms of depression and dementia, so take a few minutes to look after yourself every day too.

• Engage with your son to help monitor their participation and build reader relationships.

Ideas for engaging with your son and building reader relationships:

• Share a book with your son. No one is too old to be read to. Take turns reading a chapter.
• Talk to your son about reading. The most recent research suggests that a relationship around reading is more effective in encouraging students to read than just modelling the behaviour. Read aloud to your son. Discuss the book you are reading. Discuss your son’s reading book with him. Ask him questions about the characters and storyline. 
• Share your reading life with your son - the questions you have while reading, how you select something to read, why you sometimes do not finish a text, why you sometimes re-read a text, troubles you have had with reading, the strategies you find helpful as a reader, what you are learning or have learned from reading.
• Know your audience - expand your knowledge of what your son is reading. Make recommendations and accept recommendations from him. Challenge yourself to read some teen fiction. When was the last time you visited the public library? Are you familiar with the books they have available? How many of them have you read?

Reading for Pleasure

Aside from the sheer joy of exercising the imagination, research shows that reading for pleasure improves literacy, social skills, health, and learning outcomes.

It gives people access to culture and heritage and empowers them to become active citizens, who can contribute to economic and social development.

“There is a large amount of compelling evidence that correlates reading for pleasure from an early age with literacy development, improved well-being, and educational and employment success.” - Dr Jo Cribb, NZ Book Council

Reading culture

To create a reading culture in a secondary school it's important that all teachers are readers and understand the importance of reading for pleasure in supporting learning.

Reading for pleasure at school is strongly influenced by relationships between teachers and children, and children and families (Cremin et al, 2000 as cited by Clark & Rumbold, 2006).

"In schools that have success with their pupils’ reading, teachers read, talk with enthusiasm and recommend books, the results of which are seen not only in test results but also in an enthusiasm for reading which extends beyond the classroom."
— Excellence in English, Ofsted, 2011

The S.S.R. programme at PNBHS is at the heart of the school’s reading culture and our school-wide focus on literacy. Other important contributors include book reviews by staff and students, the modelling of reading by staff and mentors, and a library that is well-resourced and well-run.

Boys and Reading

The 2012 PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) results showed that 15-year-old boys are more likely than girls of the same age to be low achievers. One contributing factor is thought to be that boys spend less time reading for enjoyment than girls do. The OECD's report The ABC of Gender Equality in Education also states that one reason boys may be lower achievers than girls is that they are less likely to read outside of school for pleasure.

A reluctance to read and the associated poor literacy skills have far-reaching effects on boys, on the men they become, and on the society they influence. Reading has an impact on:

• their education
• future employment — literacy skills are essential in the 21st century workplace, for communication and life-long learning
• citizenship, to be able to participate as informed citizens
• life skills, in all areas — relationships, conversation and in parenting — helping their children become the next generation of readers
• pleasure, enlightenment, empathy, imagination, creativity and insight.

A recent study in the UK by the National Literacy Trust found that the more books a child has, the more likely they are to do well at school and be happy with their lives.

Academic Benefit

Reading contributes to achievement across the curriculum. The University of London’s Institute of Education (IOE) has found children between the ages of 10-16 who read for pleasure, make significantly more progress in vocabulary, spelling and maths than children who rarely read.

"It may seem surprising that reading for pleasure would help to improve children's maths scores. But it is likely that strong reading ability will enable children to absorb and understand new information and affect their attainment in all subjects." Study author Dr Alice Sullivan