Congratulations to Keirnan, age 11, our latest Star of the Month

Keirnan Ward, age 11, from Sunnyside Spencer Academy in Nottingham, has been recognised for his progress in reading by his teacher Verity Lee.  

The school invested Reading Plus in 2020 and as a result, Keirnan has greatly improved his reading skills and confidence. 

Keirnan’s teacher and assistant head of school and Year 6 teacher, Verity Lee, said: “We were looking for a programme that allowed pupils to develop more independence with reading and to improve their fluency as often they do not reach the final text in the reading SATs tests. 

“Thanks to Reading Plus, pupils have developed a love of reading. The nature of the programme encourage pupils to pace themselves, not rush and refer back to the text if they are unsure so that they can comprehend what they are reading. Using Reading Plus, pupils can now independently make a point, find the evidence, and explain without any adult support.”

In recognition for his reading efforts, Keirnan was awarded Star of the Month by Reading Solutions UK and received a trophy and £25 voucher.

Verity continued: “I nominated Keirnan for the award as at the point of nomination he had read 40,969 words on the programme over four weeks. Due to his dedication to developing his reading at home and school, he has now read 111,117 words. He motivates and inspires his peers to improve their comprehension and fluency score.”

Keirnan tells us: “I like Reading Plus because I can look at the different topics and genres of texts, and I can pick out ones that interest me. This helps motivate me to read because it is more enjoyable; I get a choice. I enjoy reading factual texts and sharing my learning with my teachers and friends. I am motivated when I gain combos and move to the next level.”

Reading Development Consultant, Jonny Bennett, from Reading Solutions UK said: “Keirnan has done amazingly well in his progress with reading, and we are delighted to award him our Star of the Month.”

Find out more about Star of the Month and how to nominate a pupil.