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������Ƶing a foreign language opens doors to new cultures and opportunities. While speaking and listening are often prioritized, developing strong reading skills is also important for comprehensive language acquisition. Reading isn't just about decoding words; it's about unlocking understanding and about enriching vocabulary by showing words in context. It exposes learners to an authentic language use and a good reader is usually a good learner. Reading allows people to see grammatical structures and sentence patterns in action. Listening is often dependant on situation and speed, but reading allows to do the activity at readers'own pace and often in a quiet mood. And what we can't forget when talking about reading: reading exposes learners to an authentic language. Whether it's a novel, a news article, or a blog post, reading materials provide a window into how the language is used in real-world contexts.

In our school, we've started using English storybooks. These books contain short stories and post-reading activities. Our language lab bookcase allows students to borrow the books, use them during English classes and return them for others to use. Some students have also purchased their own copies. All our students, from the 3rd to the 9th grade, have already engaged with these books. 

Before Xmas holidays, in December 23, Slovak 5th Graders read English Story Books. We selected several stories to read - some aloud together and some silently at our own pace. We always completed exercises after reading.

The 5th Graders also made some posters about reading. This creative work was included into our etwinning activites for the Joyful reading club in 2023/2024.

After completing a lesson, we sometimes work on reading skills and dedicate some English lessons specifically to reading English storybooks. Our students experienced 10-minute reading sessions at a Spanish school during their group mobility in October 2024. Every lesson there began with reading, giving the teacher time to check attendance, address technical issues, etc. It was certainly an interesting experience.

Our 9th Graders also improve their understanding of grammar by active looking up particular grammar structures in the reading books. Choosing the appropiate text they can remember better what they´ve learnt.