With the inception of the National Literacy and Numeracy Framework, the Welsh Government has put a great deal of focus on improving literacy and numeracy in schools. We are very proud of our excellent GCSE English results at Ysgol Dinas Bran, with 75% of last year’s cohort achieving a C or above. With the introduction of the framework and a new GCSE we realise that literacy and reading, in particular, are vital to our learners’ success. Our literacy motto is: Every child should read and understand.

Accelerated Reader is an individualised reading programme It is only one part of the total reading programme at Ysgol Dinas Bran It allows teachers to set goals, track growth and monitor comprehension The book levels range from 0.2 to 13.5 so we have a wide variety of books for students to select We encourage students to choose books within their reading level that are of interest to them

The love of reading will develop when students are not frustrated by the text in the books they select Accelerated Reader is a wonderful tool for allowing this love of reading to happen. Reading will be encouraged and mentored through parents/ carers, teachers and a range of school rewards and incentives. Students pick from any of the books within their reading level and then complete an online quiz to record their progress and understanding.

Last week your child completed the reading level quiz and we now have an approximate idea of his/ her level. At the back of the hall there is a booklet explaining Accelerated Reader. With this booklet is a suggested reading list for your child’s level of reading. The books in the list can be obtained easily from a local library, book supplier or on an e-reader. If you could encourage your child to read regularly over the summer holidays he/she would then have a head start on their journey with Accelerated Reader, be able to complete quizzes and earn points as soon as he/ she starts in September.