CHRISTOPHER WHITEHEAD
LANGUAGE COLLEGE AND SIXTH FORM
Learning Resource Centre
Mrs Stephenson
- d.stephenson@cwlc.email
Mrs Breen
- e.breen@cwlc.email
Mr Hencher
- v.hencher@cwlc.email
Opening Times
08:00 – 17:00 daily
We provide a supervised, welcoming environment for students throughout the day
Resources
The LRC houses over 10,000 books suitable for a wide range of reading abilities. We have a large collection of contemporary fiction and non-fiction books as well as reference books, DVDs and online resources. Students are encouraged to take 1 book at a time but can take extra if they are keen readers. At CWLC students take part in Drop Everything And Read every day in Guidance Time for 15 minutes and they can use their LRC books for this.
Events and Activities
We hold our year 7 Librarians Club on Wednesday Lunchtimes and Film Club after school on Fridays.
Throughout the year the LRC holds author visits, competitions and events to inspire students to read. We have a monthly book club ‘books and biscuits’ where students can come and discuss the book of the month and another group shadows the ‘Carnegie Book Award’ which involves the challenge of reading all 8 books on a shortlist. Year 7 students have a chance to take part in our Student Librarian Training Scheme and they can assist us as Student Librarians.
Accelerated Reader
Accelerated Reader is a reading scheme assigned to all students when they start in year 7. AR motivates students of all ages and abilities to read for pleasure. All year 7 students will do a reading test on the computer at the beginning of the year. They quickly move up the levels as they become confident and enthusiastic readers. We have competitions and incentives to encourage the students to read as much as possible.
Independent Research on Accelerated reader shows:
‘Children and young people who use AR enjoy reading more, are more likely to have a favourite book, read more frequently and a greater variety of fiction genres, and are more likely to believe that reading is cool than children and young people who do not use AR’
Findings from the National Literacy Trust’s 2012 annual literacy survey on reading enjoyment, reading behaviour outside class and reading attitudes. Christina Clark 2013.
The Importance of Reading
- By 2020 63% of all jobs will need a reading age of at least 16+ (In 2010 it was 13+)
- 43% of adults with poor reading and literacy skills live in poverty
- BUT only 4% of adults with strong reading and literacy skills live in poverty
- Students who read books frequently are FOUR times more likely to go to university.
