This page features stories relating to Devon Gets Reading and examples of good practice and we should be delighted to feature your story. Simply send details to rmkirk@onetel.net. We are very grateful to all our correspondents.
“Inspirational!”… “Successful and enjoyable”… “The best day’s training I’ve ever had!” These were just some of the positive comments fed back to Ric Nowik after the ‘Reading in 3D’ conference, hosted by the Pilton Cross-Phase Literacy group.
This innovative project was inspired by the group’s discovery of a successful approach to developing students’ reading skills across all age ranges, abilities and subjects. Representatives from Pilton Community College, Pilton Infants, Pathfield Special School and Pilton Bluecoat Junior Scgool found that they shared a common concern with developing understanding and true comprehension, rather than simply teaching decoding.
Creativity was the keynote. The project aimed to widen the concept of reading to embrace music, drama, art and movement. Engaging students in pre-reading tasks proved essential to creating an exciting backdrop, while drama and dance were used as enjoyable exploratory tools to extend their personal responses. In order to develop the vital skills of inference and evaluation, students were made aware of the processes they go through when reading, and how they create meaning from any kind of text - picture, music or print.
For further information or resources, contact Ric Nowik ( Tel; 01271 374381 e-mail: rnowik@piltoncollege.devon.sch.uk )
From Alison Williams, Chair of the Dartington Primary School PTFA, a story of her efforts to engage her sons in reading:
Hi there, I was interested in your page on DCC website. I am the Mother of 3 boys ranging in ages betwen 28 and 11. They have all struggled with reading despite being of above average intelligence. Boys in particular are failing at reading which then has profound implications for their entire education and indeed life chances. Reading is not cool for boys and they are early on eclipsed by girls leading to loss of self esteem, confidence, poor behaviour etc etc.
To combat all this I took my youngest son (Tom 11) to Hay on Wye Lit Fest last year where he attended talks by authors such as Michael Morpugo, Bryan Jaques, Anthony Horowitz etc. We then bought the books, met the authors, and had photos taken. After that there was no stopping him, he has become a voracious reader at home….We now share reading lists with friends and run book swaps. I have suggested to our school - Dartington Primary School that they get exciting authors in to speak to the school, join the National Federation of Book clubs (as we did) and organise book clubs, get better books (funded by the PTFA of which I am Chair) ensure children regularly visit the library, regularly write reviews, get kids to recommend books to peers etc
I suggest you hold a Lit Fest in Devon for kids!
Good luck
Alison Williams
GETTING ADULT READERS INTO SCHOOLS – A PRACTICAL GUIDE
Anne Mckechnie – Librarian at St Sidwell’s School, Exeter - writes about how she invited in adults from beyond the school to encourage reading among her pupils.
My inspiration for National Year of Reading came from a Schools Library Service Primary Librarian’s Meeting where the Librarian of
Marpool School in Exmouth told us about visits they had had from a helicopter pilot and a policeman.
I sent out some 20+ letters to businesses in Exeter and e-mailed all the ECC offices hoping to get as many people in everyday jobs -
preferably the practical, non academic, non clerical ones (i.e. the Butcher, the Baker and the Candlestick Maker and Sportsmen). A bit
difficult to explain but I wanted the less able children to see what jobs that they may be able to do when they are older and that reading
is important in all walks of life. I wanted to get as many men as possible as role models for the boys too.
However, it hasn’t been that easy and has taken a lot of arm twisting and asking favours. Tradesmen are extremely busy and very shy. I didn’t end up with quite the mix I intended but it has been interesting and the children have enjoyed the visits. Some people have gone to just one class and others have seen the whole school.
Each visit lasts about 30 mins with the visitor giving a brief talk, reading a story, and answering questions. The Guidance and a list of visitors are attached.
I am also compiling a booklet of our activities for the year which is on show in our Library area.
(42KB - pdf help) (33KB - pdf help) (64KB - pdf help)“If I couldn’t go to the library again, I’d be very upset and empty – as though someone close to me had died.” That’s the heartfelt response of an 11 year old prolific library user, who was asked if she would miss it if it wasn’t there.
Erin English is the eldest of three sisters who visit Honiton Library every two to three weeks and is currently ploughing her way through Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre.
Her two sisters – Maia (nine) and Kiri (eight) are also avid readers, backed by their mother, Shan, who has read to them every day since they were tiny babies.
She said: “While breast-feeding I read Winnie-the-Pooh stories to them. I reasoned that although they wouldn’t be able to understand the language, they would appreciate the rhythm. They all talked early and I’m sure that the regular reading helped with that.”
Kiri, who has a penchant for stories about fairies, has successfully completed the library’s ‘Booktrack’ scheme - an initiative that motivates children to read 100 books, over an unspecified time. Book track children receive rewards, such as stickers and badges at intervals, following a chat with library staff about the stories.
After being photographed for the local press and clutching her bag of congratulatory goodies, including family tickets to local attractions, books, stickers and badges, Kiri said she learned her passion for reading from her older sisters.
“Erin loves reading and she got me and Maia reading too. I like to read when I’m sitting on my swirly chair best of all, “she said.
Erin, who believes her passion for books has helped her become good at spelling, enjoys entering library competitions, ranging from drawing a favourite book character, to a quiz about the content of a particular book.
Mum, Shan, has found the library useful too. Aside from borrowing books, she has decided to learn German, which she does through the library’s collection of CDs and language books.
Nine year old Maia said she thought the library’s staff were very helpful.
She said: “If we can’t find a book or want help with a competition they are really friendly!”
Shan added: “The best thing about the library for me is the fact that books are free! We have saved hundreds of pounds over the years. Visiting the library is part of family life!”
Libraries launch drive to appeal to younger people
Devon libraries are to renew efforts to appeal to young people, following a survey which found that many have clear ideas about what they want from their local library.
Teenagers responding to the survey, said:
Library bosses will now talk to young people in more detail about how they would like to see the service developed.
The race is on to find the youngest library member!
One hundred pounds of Mothercare vouchers and a selection of books from the Early Learning Centre are poised, ready to be presented to the youngest library member.
The competition, part of a wider campaign to encourage more people to join their local library, will also see services, including books, CD, DVDs and internet access, get a bigger profile. The message is: “Libraries are about more than books!”
AUTHOR MAL PEET VISITS COLYTON
Sue Burns-Price, Librarian at Colyton Grammar School writes of the very successful visit of Mal Peat (www.walkerbooks.co.uk/The-Penalty-1844280993/Interview-with-Mal-Peet-author-of-The-Penalty ) to her school recently:
Mal was extremely charming and willing to fit in with our requests. He struggled through the day despite suffering a recent cracked rib and a nasty cough. He was dosing himself up on pain killers and cough syrup all afternoon - what a star!
The students enjoyed his talk and workshop a great deal, so I would thoroughly recommend him to any other school/organisation. For pictures of the event go to:
www.colytongrammar.devon.sch.uk/news/index.htm#author
PIONEERING DEVON READING PROJECT SHOWS MASSIVE GAINS IN ABILITY
From David Hutchings, Exeter 382594, July 12, 2007
HUNDREDS of children in Devon are set to benefit from a pioneering reading programme which has been successfully piloted in the county this year.
Every Child A Reader is targeted at some of the least able six-year-old readers in Devon.
And the intensive, one-to-one teaching has already shown massive gains in reading ability.
Eighty five per cent of the Devon children who took part in the county pilot this year have gone from not being able to read at all to reading at the level expected for their age.
Many of these 113 children have made two years' progress in reading age with around 38 hours of specialist teaching.
Reading to young children stimulates their development and gives them a head start when they reach school, according to researchers who have reviewed studies on the effects of reading.
Sharing a bedtime story with a child also promotes their memory and motor skills, as they learn to turn the pages. And their emotional and social development is boosted too.
The news comes as former Children’s Laureate, Michael Morpurgo launched Devon’s version of the National Year of Reading (Devon Gets Reading), last month at Exeter Central Library.
Mr Morpurgo read to children from St Sidwell’s primary school and talked to them about the benefits of enjoying books. The launch kicked off a county-wide campaign to engender a love of books in children and young people alike.
Professor Barry Zuckerman, from the department of paediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine, who led the study, said: "You can imagine if someone technologically came up with a widget that would stimulate all aspects of a two-year-old's development, everyone would want to buy it."
Studies show that children who are read to from an earlier age have better language development and tend to have better language scores later in life. Getting children to grip pages with their thumb and forefinger improves their motor skills.
Most important, though, said Zuckerman, is that reading aloud is a period of shared attention and emotion between parent and child. This reinforces reading as a pleasurable activity.
"Children ultimately learn to love books because they are sharing it with someone they love," he said. The research is published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood.
BY Claire Wright, based on a story from The Guardian – May 13, 2008
THE Devon Gets Reading campaign got off to a flying start on Monday 29th April. Former Children’s Laureate, Michael Morpurgo launched Devon’s version of the National Year of Reading (Devon Gets Reading at Exeter Central Library.
Mr Morpurgo read to children from St Sidwell’s primary school and talked to them about the benefits of enjoying books. The launch kicked off a county-wide campaign to engender a love of books in children and young people alike. Go to: - www.devon.gov.uk/max_debut.htm for more detail and pictures.
BIRMINGHAM GETS READING – AND WRITING
Birmingham are celebrating the National Year of Reading by getting a large number of people to read similar things and are kicking off the initiative by publishing a series of short stories and poems to get more of us all reading the same thing! Have a look and see what you think. Click here to read short stories (125KB - pdf help) and here to read poems (80KB - pdf help). If you wish to register to receive more of these directly, then log on to www.thewordsthething.org.uk. Happy reading!
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