Meet Eleanor, who inspired us to offer more texts on Reading Plus about inspirational women.
Eleanor from Front Street Community Primary School in Gateshead uses Reading Plus to develop her reading skills at school and at home.
Eleanor emailed wishing to see more texts on Reading Plus about women.
We listened to Eleanor’s request, and several texts about rebel girls and inspirational women have been added to the programme. Eleanor was delighted to hear that we acknowledged her request and took action. She tells us:
"I am very pleased to hear that more texts about inspirational women have been added to the Reading Plus programme because I think women should be recognised the same as men, and books are a very good way to spread the message to people all over the world."
"I have read a few of the new texts on inspirational women, all of which I enjoyed thoroughly. The text 'Trailblazers in Science' by Wangari Maathai, inspired me to be better to the environment and to work hard and believe in myself."
Eleanor’s teacher, Jenny Howlitson, said:
“When Eleanor told us that she had contacted Reading Plus, and why, it was clear this is something she rightly feels passionate about. Eleanor had taken the initiative, which is to be commended. Following Reading Solutions UK’s response, we celebrated her success by sharing the story with the school in a virtual assembly.”
“The children enjoy Reading Plus, and we have seen improvements in reading speed and comprehension. They love receiving certificates for reaching targets, and like to discuss texts they have found interesting, particularly if they relate to what we are learning about in other lessons.”
Reading Development Consultant Jonny Bennett, said:
“We would like to thank Eleanor for bringing this to our attention. We are passionate about wanting to help children learn to love to read, and we know that by offering an array of different and engaging topics to read about, children are more likely to engage and find their passion for reading.”
Some of the texts in Reading Plus about inspirational women
Reading Plus has increased the number of texts that focus on the achievement of women in hopes of inspiring the future generation. Here are some of the books students can now find in the Reading Plus text library:
The Limping Lady ( Level E)
Virginia Hall was one of the most successful and feared American spies. She was also the only woman to receive a high military honour for her services during World War II.
The Girl Who Silenced the World (Level HiB )
A twelve-year-old girl gave a speech that made a room full of world leaders go completely quiet.
An Unsung Hero (Level H)
Rosalind Franklin was a scientist whose contributions were ignored.
Pitch For Equality (Level F)
This is the story of the U.S. Women’s National Team and its successes on the football field and in fighting for equal pay, equal recognition, women’s rights, and LGBTQ support.
Trailblazers in Science (Level I)
Before Marie Curie, women such as Caroline Herschel dedicated their lives to science and made significant advances.
Frankenstein Onward (Level I )
Even though one of the earliest sci-fi authors was a woman, women writers were not recognized for a long time–but that is changing.
Marathon Woman ( Level A)
Paula Radcliffe has won the London and New York marathons.
Perfect 10! (Level B)
A fourteen-year-old girl from Romania makes Olympic history.
The Life of Robert Shirtliffe (Level C)
Deborah Samson was a young woman who pretended she was a man so she could become a soldier during the Revolutionary War.
Painting a Canvas of Hope (Level E)
A girl uses her love of birds and art to save wildlife threatened by an oil spill.
Dare and Do (Level F)
A curious child grows up to earn the title “The Grand Lady of Software”.
Ada Sees the Future (Level F)
Ada Lovelace realised that “thinking machines” could do a lot more than crunch numbers.