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Reading at Home
Adding reading to your daily routine really supports both literacy and wellbeing – and can be very enjoyable too!
This page has useful links to reading resources and other tips to help keep reading engaging and positive. If you have any queries concerning passwords, reading levels, reading tips or how to find reading materials, please email our librarian Ms Kohnen-Zuelzer U.Kohnen-Zuelzer@harrispeckham.org.uk.
Recommended books - top picks!
The Peckham 50 is a list of ten books for each year-group, recommended by your English teachers to inspire your reading choices. We’re also producing a series of recommended book lists on particular topics or themes.
- Download the Peckham 50.
- A selection of books by black authors
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Action and adventure
How often should I being reading?
The short answer is, as often as you like! During a normal school day, every student has a minimum of 20 minutes dedicated to reading.
To help continue this habit while at home, we are encouraging students to aim to read at least 2—3 times a day for 20 minutes, if you can, including 20 minutes reading aloud to a parent, sibling or even a pet! Why not download our reading at home log to help you to keep track. Try and build in one reading aloud session each day.
After finishing a book, why not take a quiz on Accelerated Reader (see below). Or write a review and share it on social media or email it to U.Kohnen-Zuelzer@harrispeckham.org.uk so we can add it to our website.
Bedrock Vocabulary
Reading will really help to keep our brains active, engaged and learning while our school is temporarily closed. At Harris Academy Peckham, all year 7-9 students have been using an online program Bedrock Vocabulary Learning to develop your vocabulary acquisition.
To make required progress across the programme, you must complete at least two lessons a week, which run for 20 minutes each. Your login and password details have been provided to you by the English Department. If you have lost these details, you can ask your parent or career to email your English teacher or your librarian Ms Kohnen-Zuelzer (u.kohnen-zuelzer@harrispeckham.org.uk).
Remember you can download Bedrock onto your phones and ipads too! The English Department will track your activity and reward you with Faculty Points for every green progress made each week.
Log into Bedrock here
Accelerated Reader
Accelerated Reader is a great tool for all year 7-9 students to support your independent reading practice. Develop your reading skills most effectively by choosing appropriately challenging books.
When you have finished reading your book you can log on to Accelerated Reader using the link below and we will track your activity and reward you with Faculty Points for every successful quiz you take.
If you have any queries concerning passwords, reading levels, or getting hold of books, please contact our librarian Ms Kohnen-Zuelzer U.Kohnen-Zuelzer@harrispeckham.org.uk
Log into Accelerated Reader here
Harris Peckham Reading Challenge!
Want more to read? Why not complete the Harris Peckham Reading Challenge! Download reading suggestions for every type of reading in the list below.
1. Read a dystopian text.
2. Read a novel with a female protagonist.
3. Read a newspaper article. How do you feel about the topic discussed and why?
4. Read a book that your parent, carer or sibling read at school.
5. Read a novella.
6. Read a non-fiction book.
7. Read a book that you would never usually select.
8. Read an opinion piece from a newspaper. Find examples of three methods (language
techniques) used in it.
9. Read a play.
10. Read a poem.
11. Read a book recommended by a friend.
12. Read a book that won an award in 2019.
Once you've finished all 12 email U.Kohnen-Zuelzer@harrispeckham.org.uk to let her know, and win a mystery prize!
Online libraries - sign up for free
Southwark Libraries have a great e-library, accessed through BorrowBox, where you can download books and audiobooks for free. If you do not have a Southwark Library membership, you can join now for 90 days without a signed application form. Join Southwark Library Once you have your membership number, log in to BorrowBox.
Many London borough libraries are also a member of the London Libraries Consortium. If you are a member of one of these libraries you can access the e-catalogues of all of the others, giving you even more to choose from. Click here for a list of participating boroughs.
More books and audiobooks
If you have a subscription of Amazon prime, there is a great selection of free books, magazines and comics available. Here are two websites offering free online books and audiobooks
- The Ickabog - a new story by J.K. Rowling, without any magic!
- National Literacy Trust - The Book of Hopes: Words and Pictures to Comfort, Inspire and Entertain Children in Lockdown
- Storyline Online
- Oxford Owl - expert advice, educational resources and free eBooks to support children's learning at home, from Oxford University Press.
- David Walliams daily free audio story for 30 days
- Audible.com - free audible books for all ages:
- Researchify - Word/PDF/Audiobooks of Children’s Classics:
- Project Gutenberg - good for classics
- International Children’s Digital Library
- Stephen Lawrence 'Read Up A Storm' - a book for every age group, sharing the theme of working together to create a better world.
If you don´t have internet access please contact us and we will try to supply free copies. Don’t forget some students will have books from our school-library at home.
Guidance for parents
Here are a few other tips that you might try:
- Read together with your child, reading out loud in turns. Could your child read to a younger sibling?
- Try to keep the reading sessions fun and relaxed, perhaps by using different voices, or acting out scenes.
- Ask questions and discuss the storyline, characters, language, setting. Guess what is going to happen.
- Track your progress through our HAP reading at home log and send the results to our librarian for faculty points.
- Keep praising your child, especially when they find reading difficult.
Remember, if you have any queries concerning reading, please email our librarian Ms Kohnen-Zuelzer U.Kohnen-Zuelzer@harrispeckham.org.uk. We're here to support you in any way we can.
And don't forget to tell us how you're getting on. This is new territory for all of us and it's great to learn from each other.
