Category: Promoting reading

  • Teachers’ Reading for Pleasure Blog

    Teachers’ Reading for Pleasure Blog

    As school librarians and teachers, we love to read children’s books and to share what we love about those books with children.  There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing the pleasure a child gets from being inspired by a wonderful story, or thrilling adventure, or understanding a character from the inside.  Sometimes we need to get inspiration too when we are reaching for just the right book to share, and many teachers are looking for new titles and deeper understanding of a novel.  Reading for pleasure is so important, not just because it is an entry into the wider world of literature, but because children’s learning and attainment expand so much better when they are independent readers.

    What I would like to do here is spread the word about more books, new, old, forgotten classics, the very latest titles, and see where that takes us.  Your contributions will be enormously helpful – to hear about the experience in the classroom and in your book clubs will make us all reflect more about the choices we making in promoting reading with pupils.

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  • Chatterbooks Reading Groups

    Chatterbooks Reading Groups

    Reading Clubs in Schools

    The Chatterbooks DfE-funded project we piloted last year to establish reading clubs in schools proved so successful that we are now offering the same service to all schools in Tower Hamlets.

    The Chatterbooks model of reading a variety of books around a particular subject – such as “action and adventure”, “spine-tinglers” or “funny fiction” – has enthused children about books and encouraged them to read more.

    “The skills we learn in Chatterbooks, such as making a personal response, have made pupils more confident in their literacy lessons within the classroom. It’s a great way to make reading as special as is ought to be and to enhance the profile of reading and storytelling in our school.”

    Jill Parish, Thornhill Primary School, Cardiff

     

    For more information, contact the library on 020 7364 6428

    Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service now offers the following two options:

     Chatterbooks Starter Package:

    For schools wanting to start Chatterbooks reading clubs, this package includes:

    • a two-hour inset in school
    • leader’s handbook
    • 10 children’s welcome packs
    • scrapbook for recording events at the club
    • evaluation survey
    • email updates
    • an additional ticket to borrow and have delivered themed collections of books to support the club from the Schools Library Service twice a term.

    Chatterbooks Continuation Package:

    For schools that have already run clubs and undergone training and wish to run further clubs, this basic package consists of

    • 10 children’s welcome packs (or as many as you need)
    • scrapbook for recording events at the club
    • evaluation survey
    • email updates
    • an additional ticket to borrow and have delivered themed collections of books to support the club from the Schools Library Service twice a term.

    Find these packages on “SLAonline” or for more information, contact Gillian Harris, Tel 020 7364 6428.

    email: gillian.harris@towerhamlets.gov.uk,

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  • Book Buying and Cataloguing

    Book Buying and Cataloguing

    School2Book Buying

    A good school library needs to be regularly replenished with new books to excite the children and old and out-of date books need to be removed.  Starting with an audit of what you already have, our librarians can help you buy books to:

    • support your school’s curriculum
    • Meet OFSTED and inspection targets
    • support literacy schemes and Accelerated Reader
    • address gaps in the current collection
    • promote race, gender, disability, LGBT, age and class equality
    • Support Philosophy for Children
    • provide for children with special educational needs
    • support the Global Dimension and Black Perspectives in the curriculum
    • support healthy schools, anti-bullying, road safety and other initiatives

    We can buy books on your behalf, or accompany you to a library supplier showroom to select books – usually at 10 – 20% discount or more.

    We recommend using the processing service (book jackets, school stamp and spine labels) that most large library suppliers offer for a small additional fee.  In order to make the most of this service, our librarians will classify the stock as it is selected so that the library supplier can put the correct spine label (colour and number) on each book.

    Cataloguing your collection

    Our professional librarians will catalogue your new and/or existing books using your school cataloguing software.

    An accurate library catalogue will help:

    • Track pupil borrowing and reading patterns
    • Help you monitor reading attainment
    • Keep track of your book collection

    Why use our cataloguing service?

    A team of qualified librarians is the best choice for cataloguing your library.

    • Accurate and comprehensive data entry
    • Services, including custom key wording of all books and use of YOUR school classification schedule
    • Ongoing stock auditing process
    • Competitive prices
    • We will catalogue on-site OR can catalogue books at our library (no additional charge for transit)
    • Book processing (labelling, stamping, etc) services included
    • All books will be sorted and shelved at the end of the cataloguing process.

    Call us on 020 7364 6428 or use our contact form to get in touch about this service

    You may also be interested in:

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  • Professional Librarians in Primary Schools

    Professional Librarians in Primary Schools

    “The most important element of an effective school library is the person managing it”

    Your School Librarian

    To ensure that the library is strategically managed and developed as well as open and available to children as much as possible,  we recommend that schools employ a professional librarian for a number of hours (3.5 to 35) a week with support from a library assistant.

    “The work of a School Librarian has the potential to make a huge contribution to the school in ways that I had not realised until we found ours.  Her work has impacted directly on the children; their involvement and enthusiasm for reading as well as our participation in enrichment activities and the maintenance of the reading environment.”
    Headteacher, Primary School in Tower Hamlets

    With HMI Ofsted expecting to see good quality libraries and ambitious expectations and support for home reading, the management of your school library with its tens of thousands of pounds worth of resources is more important than ever!

    A professional librarian will:

    Support children’s learning by:

    • Promoting enjoyment of, and excitement about, reading
    • Plan and run exiting library-based activities
    • Establishing skills for independent learning and assist in the delivery of information and research skills teaching in the school
    • Monitor reading and attainment

    Support the teaching staff by:

    • Identifying and buying quality resources for the school library and classroom libraries
    • Assisting in the delivery of information skills  and information literacy teaching in the school
    • Helping to select resources from the Schools Library Services

    Support the school by:

    • Working closely with school leaders to ensure that the library meets the needs of the school
    • Managing and promoting the school library and teacher resources, ensuring consistency and maintaining quality
    • Ensuring value for money when buying new resources
    • Raising reading and literacy standards

    Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services can provide schools with the services of a professional librarian on a regular basis
    Minimum contract – one year

    Call us on 020 7364 6428 or use our contact form to get in touch about this service