Dear Family,

Welcome to the ninth edition of our newsletter. There are only 72 days left until our school opens to children for the very first time. We hope the friends and families of our school had a very enjoyable and happy Eid break. If you have been in the area recently you will have noticed how different it looks from the outside with the building being painted white and windows installed. This reflects how complete the building feels inside, especially now that internal fittings like bathrooms and shelves are being installed. We really are beginning to get a feel of what the school will be like and really love the bright varied shaped classrooms and different spaces both indoors and outdoors that will be used to support amazing learning.

There is a danger however that schools, keen to ensure that children understand the mechanics of reading, miss out in what for us at The Aquila School is so important- developing a love of reading. We know that children can get so much pleasure and enjoyment from reading that we want to promote this so that reading for pleasure becomes a habit of a lifetime. So, particularly helpful over the long summer break here are our top tips on developing and sustaining a love of reading-

• Let children choose what they read. There is very little pleasure to be gained from reading a text that is of no interest to the children or that simply requires them to decode words.
• It is fine to re-read a book that has been read before. We wouldn’t stop a child from playing a piece of music again on the grounds they have heard it before, so why do we sometimes insist everything a child reads needs to be for the first time.
• A real book or an e-book- both are equally valuable, let children choose.
• Fiction and non-fiction can be equally enjoyable, again let the children choose.
• Sharing a book with family members should be a relaxed and pleasurable experience. If neither of you are in the mood or the session is becoming stressful stop and start again when the time is right.
• Some children enjoy reading stories aloud to their friends or toys, this is a great skill and is to be encouraged.
• Encourage children to bring their books alive, maybe acting out stories, creating a puppet show, making a presentation or even just responding to the book through art, design and music. The possibilities are endless.
• Let children know that reading is not just for children. Why not have time when you and your family sit together and read, either sharing a book or pursuing individual interests. This would certainly be time very well spent.

We excitedly anticipate the arrival of the thousands of books we have ordered for The Aquila School as we know these will really help us to encourage every child to develop a love of reading. Have a happy summer of from everyone at The Aquila School.