Ways to promote reading in school – just some ideas

• Plan your reading year, ensuring national events are celebrated and you have events / activities for each age group (see next page – planning the reading year)
• Timetable visits to the school library for every class and year group
• Arrange author visits to school
• Hold a Book week or Book Fair
• Ensure every class has a good classroom library
• Put up book-related displays in library and classrooms
• Hold an INSET day session for teachers to discuss promoting a reading culture, based in library
• Ensure all new staff receive induction about the library
• Organise reading clubs
• Encourage teachers to read aloud with pupils
• Hold competitions
• Take pupils to select/purchase books from local bookshops
• Put up posters of role models with their favourite books
• Put library reading news on the school website
• Take classes to the public library -to join and to find out what is on offer
• Have a suggestion box / recommendation box in the library

National Reading Initiatives  (see also Planning the Reading Year)

• Reading Champions (National Literacy Trust)
• Chatterbooks reading clubs (The Reading Agency)
• 200million minutes – annual drive by Achievement for All to get children reading for 200 million minutes!
• Read for Good  – sponsored reading
• Reading Road Map – aimed at broadening children’s reading horizons

Book Awards – to follow and/or shadow

• Find out about your local book award from your schools library service
• Diverse Book Awards
• Little Rebels Children’s Book Award
• Kate Greenaway Medal
• Children’s Information Book Award
• Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize
• Branford Boase Award

to involve parents and the wider community in reading

• Write articles about the library for the school newsletter
• Ensure the library is open on parents’ evenings
• ask for library volunteers
• Encourage parents to borrow
• Take books out to the playground either before or after school when parents/ carers are collecting
• Establish link with local bookshops and your local public library
• Ask pupils to ask their parents what was/is their favourite book and create a display
• Invite reviews of books from parents and other adults

Sources of inspiration

Your primary school librarian will have expert knowledge of the world of promoting reading to children, supported by:

• Schools Library Services
  for advice, book awards, local and national events, activities, books to support reading and lots more
• The Reading Agency
  for Chatterbooks, Summer Reading Challenge and lots more
• The National Literacy Trust
  for Reading connects, reading champions and lots more
• The Book Trust
  For booktime, book buzz and lots more
• Federation of Children’s Book Groups
  for more ideas