DEAR Reading Program

A reading program that reaches all students

Drop Everything and Read – DEAR

As a student at Wey Valley Academy, you will read as a class for 30 minutes every day, taking part in our Drop Everything and Read programme. Each tutor groups reads a different book and by the end of the year, students will have read 6 whole books! The Drop Everything and Read programme aims to develop life-long readers and to instil a passion for words, books and stories.

The DEAR Programme aims to improve these 3 areas:

Fluency – reading aloud every day helps students to read faster and more accurately; it builds reading stamina and is a key study skill

Comprehension -Teachers ask questions to check understanding of what is being read. We ask our students ‘what does it make you feel, imagine or think about?’

Vocabulary – Each week students record new vocabulary in their personal vocabulary books; teachers help them apply the new words they’ve acquired by providing example sentences and help with spelling.

In year 7 to 10, students read together for half an hour a day, enjoying a classic text or a culturally important work of fiction. This work aims to support students with their reading comprehension, fluency and understanding of key vocabulary. Students listen to their tutor reading at first and then are invited to read aloud to the class. We believe this experience of sharing a book together enables all students to take part in reading for pleasure and reading for betterment. Some of our key texts include Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’, John Boyne’s ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ and Malorie Blackman’s ‘Noughts and Crosses’.

D.E.A.R. is a vital literacy intervention which supports our students to become life long readers.

Year 7 student: “This was such a brilliant book, at the end we all cried, even our teacher cried!”

Year 10 Student: “This is the best book we’ve read because it really makes you think about the world.”

We want all students to experience a rich language and have an opportunity to immerse themselves in great stories. Our DEAR books include a range of classic literature and modern texts.