Reading in Primary Schools: Guide

Libraries supporting reading

Libraries are an asset in any school. A growing body of research known as school library impact studies has consistently shown positive correlations between high-quality library programs and student achievement (Gretes, 2013; Lance &  Hofschire,  2011; Rudkin & Wood, 2019). The benefits associated with good library programs are strongest for the most vulnerable and at-risk learners, including low-income students, and students with disabilities. Exam scores tend to be higher in schools where librarians spend more time: • Instructing students, both with classroom teachers and independently, • Planning collaboratively with classroom teachers, • Providing professional development to teachers, • Meeting regularly with school leaders • Serving on key school leadership committees, • Facilitating the use of technology by students and teachers, • Providing technology support to teachers, and • Providing reading incentive programs.

Recent literature has also investigated the impact of school library use on wellbeing, with arguments made that school libraries positively influence children’s feelings of being cared for through tactical provision and assistance that aids them in dealing with adverse circumstances (Lance &  Kachel, 2018).

Reviews of research into the impact of school library use by children have highlighted the importance of staffing, budgeting and high-quality provision on increasing the use of school libraries and on pupils’ reading attitudes and behaviours (Clark & Teravainen, 2018).

School libraries remain a timely topic in the UK educational discourse as the requirements for critical literacy are increasing and the libraries’ role is even more crucial in supporting children and young people to acquire the skills they need.

Annual Literacy Survey

Each year, the National Literacy Trust conducts an Annual Literacy Survey of children and young people aged 9 to 18 across the UK. In the 2019 survey, a subset of questions focused on children’s and young people’s use of school libraries, with the intention of better understanding the extent of children’s use of these spaces, their views on them, and how these factors related to children’s attitudes to reading, reading confidence, reading behaviours and reading attainment. Key findings · The review found that there was evidence of an association between school library use and reading attainment, although there was no clear-cut evidence that library use ‘caused’ increased reading attainment, due to a lack of experimental or longitudinal studies in this area. · In relation to pupil wellbeing, the review found that there was some evidence of an association between school library use and mental wellbeing, but only a small percentage of school librarians saw pastoral care to be an important part of their job. · The literature review also revealed that demographic factors like age, gender and ethnicity of pupils were related to school library use, and the nature and quality of the book stock carried was also important. The library being seen as a friendly space, and a place that can support students to do better at school, was also important. · The analysis of the Annual Literacy Survey data set focused on a subset of 694 children and young people for whom standardised reading scores were also available. · Overall, children and young people who used the school library had better levels of reading enjoyment, reading for pleasure, reading confidence, writing for pleasure, 2 writing confidence, and reading attainment than those who did not. They also tended to read and write a greater variety of material relative to non-library users. · For children and young people receiving free school meals, library users in this group showed higher reading enjoyment, increased reading and writing for pleasure, and tended to read and write a greater variety of material relative to non-library users. · When we consider just the boys from the whole sample, we find that library users had better scores for reading enjoyment, reading for pleasure, reading confidence, and reading attainment than boys who did not use the school library, and these children and young people also read more diverse forms of text than those who were not school library users. · When we consider just the girls from the whole sample, we find that library users show better levels of reading and writing enjoyment, and they read and write for pleasure more often than non-users of school libraries. They also tended to read and write a greater variety of material relative to non-library users. · However, attitudes to reading and writing were found to be negatively related to school library use, both overall and in the case of each of the subgroup analyses conducted.

References

Clark, C. & Teravainen, A. (2018) School libraries: Why children and young people use them or not, their literacy engagement and mental wellbeing Findings from our annual literacy survey 2017/2018 London: National Literacy Trust.

Gretes, F. (2013). School library impact studies: A review of findings and guide to sources. Prepared for the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.

Lance, K.C. & Hofschire, L. (2011). Something to shout about: New research shows that more librarians means higher reading scores. School Library Journal, 57 (9), 28-33.

Lance, K. C. & Kachel, D.E (2018) Why school librarians matter: What years of research tell us. Phi Delta Kappan. Vol. 99 (7), pp.15-20

Rudkin, G. & Wood, C. (2019) Understanding the Impact and Characteristics of School Libraries and Reading Spaces, London: NLT; Nottingham Trent University