"I hate words."
"Words suck."
"If I wanted to read, I'd go to school."
        -Beavis and Butthead

You like to read... Well, the fact that you're reading this suggests you probably do. However, how many of us read as much as we should? The recent PISA study on international literacy figures hardly flatters Ireland.
Joyce, Wilde and Shaw might indulge in a little grave rotation were they to browse at http://www.educationmatters.ie/2010/12/14/pisa-study-results-an-urgent-call-to-action/

On foot of this research in 2011 the Department of Education and Skills published “Literacy and Numeracy for Learning and Life: The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011- 2020” .

The strategy sets targets for improving literacy and numeracy standards to be achieved by the year 2020.

You can check out its findings and recommendations here at http://www.education.ie/en/Press-Events/Events/Literacy-and-Numeracy/

Here at St Mary's the Learning Support Department  with the various other subject departments collaborate to improve literacy levels across all subject areas. When a student encounters a new module in a subject, they need to understand the new language that the new material involves. Similarly, each subject has its own language "register" or key words which are most important to know.

This is why when you visit our school you will see the most used key words or phrases displayed in different subject classrooms. For example, in English, how many of us really completely understand the difference between terms like "Discuss", "Compare", "Contrast" or "Outline"?

If you would like to find out the reading age of the books you or your children are reading, be it for school or pleasure, you can apply a simple little formula called the "Smog Test". You can do it manually or online at
http://www.readabilityformulas.com/free-readability-formula-tests.php

In our modern world we are constantly distracted by the bells and whistles of laptops, smartphones and
other gizmos. It is becoming increasingly harder for us all just to relax, sit down and read for pleasure in an uninterrupted fashion.

Author Alan Jacobs discusses this in his book "The Pleasures of Reading an Age of Distraction" (you can buy it here or check out reviews http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Pleasures-Reading-Distraction-ebook/dp/B004XVFLLU/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1/277-4002461-3073746 )

You can hear him talk about reading in the modern world here on the excellent blog at Saint Columba's College:
http://www.sccenglish.ie/2012/08/the-pleasures-of-reading-in-age-of.html