Reading Recommendations

Why Reading Recommendations Are Important

1. Children don’t always know what to read next

One of the biggest barriers to reading isn’t ability — it’s choice.

Many children:

• Finish a book and get stuck

• Choose books that are too easy, too hard, or not engaging

• Give up because they “can’t find anything good”
  
  

Reading recommendations guide children towards books that are:

• Appropriate for their age and reading level

• Likely to capture their interest

• Challenging enough to help them improve
  
  

2. They help build reading stamina and confidence

When children regularly read books that suit them:

• They finish more books

• Reading feels achievable, not exhausting

• Confidence grows naturally
  
  

Teachers see this clearly: confident readers read more, and reading more improves everything else.

3. They broaden children’s experiences and perspectives

Left to themselves, many children read within a very narrow comfort zone.

Good reading recommendations:

• Introduce different genres (historical, fantasy, non-fiction, poetry)

• Expose children to diverse characters, settings, and ideas

• Encourage empathy and curiosity about the wider world
  
  

This is vital for personal and social development, not just literacy.

4. They support vocabulary, writing, and comprehension

Strong readers tend to:

• Have wider vocabularies

• Write more fluently and accurately

• Understand texts more deeply across subjects
  
  

Reading recommendations help ensure children are exposed to rich, high-quality language, which directly feeds into their writing and learning in every subject.

5. They make reading feel valued and shared

Recommendations:

• Create a reading culture in the classroom

• Spark conversations about books

• Encourage children to see reading as a shared experience, not a chore
  
  

This motivation matters enormously.

6. They help parents support reading at home

Many parents want to help but aren’t sure what to choose.

Reading recommendations:

• Give parents confidence when selecting books

• Prevent frustration with unsuitable texts

• Encourage regular reading routines at home
  
  

This partnership between home and school is powerful.

7. They support reluctant and struggling readers

For reluctant readers especially:

• One right book can change everything

• A poor choice can reinforce negative feelings about reading
  
  

Careful recommendations help:

• Re-engage disengaged readers

• Build positive reading habits

• Avoid repeated failure experiences
  
  

Teachers rely on this more than most people realise.

In short

Reading recommendations are important because they:

• Remove barriers to choosing books

• Build confidence and enjoyment

• Improve literacy across the curriculum

• Encourage empathy and curiosity

• Support families and promote equality
  
  

They don’t limit choice — they open doors.