Using Bookspark: Ideas from teachers and librarians
Here are three ways that teachers and librarians are using Bookspark in their schools to build reading enjoyment and encourage reading for pleasure.
Group reading
At Gaelcholáiste Dhoire School in Dungiven, Northern Ireland, staff use the group reader sets with small groups. Students pick the book they want to read from the five sets and read it together. The teacher uses the resources to support conversations about the book.
Several times each week, a teacher in our school hosts out-of-classroom lessons for students identified as needing extra support with literacy.
Senior Teacher, Dungiven, Northern Ireland
Paired reading
At Northampton International School, staff read one-to-one with students in year 7 and 8 library lessons. They often use shorter books, including titles in Bookspark, with less confident readers so they can get a sense of achievement before going on to the next book.
We do one-to-one reading in year 7 so when it comes to year 8, it’s just part of the norm. A lot of students want you to listen to them. It’s that shared experience.
Librarian, Northampton International School
Books in different formats
In both Gaelcholáiste Dhoire School and Northampton International School, staff use the variety of formats in Bookspark, from graphic novels to non-fiction, to engage students.
Non-fiction offers that slightly easier access point for students who are going to struggle with the stamina to complete a whole book… Sometimes those books, even if a student is having a bad day, you can sit with them and find facts together.
Librarian, Northampton International School
More about Bookspark
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Here are all the tools and resources you’ll need to deliver Bookspark in your school.
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Bookspark was created by BookTrust to support shared reading sessions that boost students’ enjoyment of books. We spoke to Dónall, a secondary school Senior Teacher, about the impact he’s seen it have on students, and how he uses it with Bookbuzz.