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Increase in children reading for pleasure following Chatterbooks in schools project: new statistics
A 22% increase in the number of children reading daily; a doubling in children signed up as library members, and increased confidence and positive attitudes toward reading among children. These were just some of the outcomes celebrated at a special Reading Agency event today to mark the success of its Department for Education-funded project supporting Chatterbooks children's reading groups in primary schools and encouraging library membership.
Policy makers; representatives from school libraries, public library services, education organisations and the Arts Council; publishers and best-selling children’s authors all gathered at London’s Free Word Centre today for the launch of a new report entitled The Impact of Chatterbooks on Children’s Reading Enjoyment, Behaviours and Attitudes, produced for The Reading Agency by National Literacy Trust researchers.
This follows the announcement, in August last year, that The Reading Agency had been awarded funding from the Department for Education to support 200 primary schools to run Chatterbooks, its successful children's reading group programme. The selected schools received Chatterbooks materials for the children taking part, toolkits for group leaders, downloadable resources and training for a ten week programme of activities. The local schools' library services support the schools with expertise and provided book collections for the Chatterbooks groups, and the funding also enabled work to encourage all Year 3 pupils at the schools to sign up at their local library.
The new Chatterbooks impact report’s key findings included:
- Children hold more positive attitudes towards reading after taking part in Chatterbooks activities. In particular, fewer say at the end of Chatterbooks that they read only when they have to and that they cannot find things to read that interest them
- There was a 22% increase in the number of children who said that they read daily, increasing from 35.9% to 43.9% at the end of project activities.
- There was a significant difference in children’s perceptions of their own reading ability over time, with 49.1% of children feeling that they are very good readers at the end of Chatterbooks compared with 41.1% before.
- Nearly twice as many children say that they are a member of their local library after Chatterbooks than they did before (54.8% vs. 33.9%).
- Nine in ten club leaders believe that as a result of the project, children enjoy reading more and have become more enthusiastic about reading. Most also believe that as a result of the project, children read more often and more read of their own initiative.
- Over three in four club leaders believe that Chatterbooks has resulted in either significant improvement (17.3%) or some improvement (60.5%) in children’s reading skills. Similarly, most group leaders identified either significant or some improvements in children’s speaking and listening skills.
Jon Biddle, Senior Teacher from Moorlands Primary Academy in Belton near Great Yarmouth gave one of the presentations, echoing the positive impact that running a Chatterbooks group had had with Year Five boys at his school who had not previously engaged with reading. He cited the example of previously very reluctant reader Zach: "Following the programme, he now reads at home every night, and now encourages other children in the class to read, often recommending books for them. He really is a changed child," he said.
The Reading Agency has been coordinating Chatterbooks -- the UK's largest network of children's reading groups -- since 2001, helping children build a lifelong reading habit. Reading for pleasure is more important to children's successes than education or social class, and 10,000 children belong to Chatterbooks groups, which are run in libraries and schools to encourage reading enjoyment. Chatterbooks is a flexible model that can be used with children from 4 up to 12, for all different abilities and in targeted or mixed groups.
Among the Chatterbooks groups whose activities were showcased was the one from Pakeman Primary School in the London Borough of Islington. “There has been a massive increase in engagement with books, with confidence around speaking about books and their narrative, and a great increase in comprehension,” said Head of Literacy Sue Davies as part of a video presentation.
At today’s event well-loved children’s authors Steve Cole and Ali Sparkes, who are official Chatterbooks Champions, entertained attendees young and old alike, and gave an author’s perspective on the importance of children’s book clubs and the impact of author events.
“Chatterbooks is peer pressure at its best,” said Ali Sparkes. If you've got a good mate at school who loves a book, you're much more likely to read that book yourself. This is what is so brilliant about Chatterbooks groups. Like-minded kids can meet up and talk excitedly about their favourite stories - and everyone gets it.”
Sue Wilkinson, Chief Executive of The Reading Agency, said: "Our goal as an organisation is to inspire more people to read more. We do this by making reading fun; something children do with their families and their friends. This report shows just how effective this strategy is. It shows the need, if we are to raise literacy levels, to embed reading for pleasure into formal education and demonstrates the impact of schools working with school library services and public libraries to run highly effective programmes like Chatterbooks."