Home Reading Scheme

At Pear Tree Infant and Nursery School, we place a strong emphasis on effective partnership with parents and carers, recognising the vital role this plays in supporting pupils’ learning and development. To promote reading for pleasure and consistency in home reading, the school has established a structured reading reward scheme.

Each term, pupils are gifted a book to take home, selected from the school’s ‘Book Vending Machine’. The school prides itself on ensuring that every child receives a book in this way, with the aim of helping pupils to build their own library at home. This initiative promotes a love of books and encourages regular reading beyond the classroom.

This initiative encourages regular reading at home and supports the development of key literacy skills, including fluency, comprehension, vocabulary and spelling. It also fosters positive attitudes towards reading and helps to develop a lifelong love of books.

Leaders actively encourage parents and carers to engage in regular reading with their child. This shared experience not only strengthens relationships but also supports pupils in becoming confident, enthusiastic readers, while promoting high expectations for reading across the school community.

 

Book Vending Machine

We are incredibly proud to have our book vending machine in school, which brings great excitement to our children. At the end of each term, every child has the opportunity to receive a book, creating a real sense of reward and celebration.

This initiative encourages children to read regularly at home as they work towards earning their reward. Over their time with us, each child will be gifted at least 10 books, helping them to build their own library and develop a lasting love of reading. 

  

Story Time

Story time is a key part of daily practice and is securely embedded within the school day. The daily 3pm story sessions provide dedicated time for teachers to read aloud to pupils, supporting a consistent approach to promoting reading for pleasure.

These sessions engage and motivate pupils, helping to develop enthusiasm for books and a genuine interest in reading. They also provide regular opportunities for rich discussion, enabling pupils to build confidence in expressing their ideas and opinions.

Overall, these structured story sessions contribute to a strong culture of reading across the school and support the development of pupils’ language, comprehension and communication skills.

 

We love to read in a variety of places! 

Children have the opportunity to read their favourite books during outdoor provision

Pear Tree Infant & Nursery School reading extravaganza events!

Nursery children enjoy our reading resources.

Our Reading Rabbit – Rosie

The school is very proud to have Rosie, our Reading Rabbit, who is a much-loved member of the school community. Rosie visits classrooms to listen to children read and to share in their enjoyment of books, helping to promote confidence, enthusiasm and a love of reading. Her calming presence supports pupils to feel relaxed and engaged during reading time. In addition to promoting reading for pleasure, Rosie also supports the development of PSHE skills by encouraging empathy, responsibility, care and respect for living things. Through their interactions with Rosie, pupils learn to show kindness and consideration, further enriching their personal development.

Our School Library

At Pear Tree Infant and Nursery School, developing a love of reading and books is a high priority. The school library plays a central role in this, providing a dedicated and welcoming space where pupils can explore a wide range of books, share stories, and talk about their reading.

The library promotes curiosity, imagination and enjoyment, helping pupils to see books as engaging and inspiring. Staff actively model a love of reading and ensure that all pupils access the library regularly each week, strengthening the school’s consistent culture of reading for pleasure.

 

Reading Den

We have transformed a space in our school into a 'Reading Den'.  This has given the children a cosy and inviting environment, fostering a love of reading!

Reading Buddies

Our Reading Buddies support pupils’ comprehension and understanding of the texts they read. They help children to make meaningful links between their own experiences and stories, strengthening connections across their learning.

The Reading Buddies also act as prompts during reading, encouraging pupils to ask questions, make predictions and think more deeply about what might happen next. This supports the development of key early reading skills and promotes active engagement with texts.

Parents and carers are encouraged to ask children about the Reading Buddies, including who the characters are and how they help them with their reading at school.

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