Does reading for pleasure support accelerated progress?

This study aimed to explore whether children would make more progress if they were provided with more opportunities for reading for please. In order to trial its effectiveness, a focus groups were selected from Years 5 and 6. These children were all working below the expected standard for their year group, in the hope that the project would support them in reaching the expected standard by the end of the research period. Result showed that 61% of the children moved from working towards the expected standard, to working at the expected standard. However, the
levels of pupil engagement showed that learners are all more passionate about reading as a result; whether they remained working towards the expected level or if they moved, to working at the expected standard. This impact highlighted the importance of children reading books that interest them and how engaging children in dialogue and written feedback around their chosen text allows for the children to be active readers.