 |
 
What is Reading Champions?
The Reading Champions framework
Adults as Reading Champions
The focus on boys
Reading Champions for girls
What next?
History and aims
Number of Reading Champions schools by local authority
Supporters from the education sector
What Reading Champion schools say about the project
Reading Champions is a way for primary and secondary schools to get more of their boys enjoying reading. Schools invite boys and men who are influential in school to become Reading Champions. These Champions encourage other boys to get into reading by running their own positive reading activities and promotions. By following our framework (see below), boys can be nominated for bronze, silver and then gold awards, which provides recognition for their achievements and helps keep them motivated.
Reading Champions work towards three levels of achievement – bronze, silver and gold. There are lots of practical ideas for fun activities on this website, based on the three levels of award. However, to make sure the project is flexible and relevant to all schools, the lead member of staff for the project sets their own criteria for each level.
When the lead member of staff feels happy that a new level has been reached by the boy(s), they then nominate them on this website, detailing their reason for nomination. Within two weeks, the boys receive a shiny certificate and badge. This is a simple framework that boys can own and develop as they grow in confidence, with support and encouragement from staff as needed.
Below are some examples of activity for the different levels.
- A bronze Reading Champion stands up and declares their enthusiasm for reading: for example, he sets up a sporting swap box to read and swap matchday programmes and memorabilia.
-
A silver Reading Champion is involved in schemes to encourage other boys to read: for example, he regularly creates and displays posters, screensavers or leaflets promoting his favourite reads.
-
A gold Reading Champion makes an outstanding contribution to the school reading culture: for example, he sets up and he runs a buddying scheme, training mentors to work with younger boys or sets up a reading event in school.
This framework, drawing on lessons learnt from successful boys' reading schemes, contains these key ingredients:
Flexibility - the project has been designed to fit most school environments
Ownership - giving the boys a say in how the project is delivered
Mentors - motivation and guidance from adult coaches (in school) and ambassadors (at local authority level) and male members of the community
Support materials - welcome pack, toolkit, framework of activities, celebrity role models, posters, other resources and extrinsic rewards.
You can also nominate adults who get involved in the project as Reading Champions. They will receive a certificate and badge just like the boys.
Staff – male members of staff who promote reading
Dads/male carers – dads or male carers who support their children with reading
Volunteers – members of the community who give up their time to encourage the boys in school to read
Celebrities and sport stars - we have a great number of celebrities and sport stars who have become Reading Champions. Schools may like to use their downloadable pdfs as part of the project. Visit celebrity and sport.
Reading Champions is a unique way for schools to get more of their boys reading for enjoyment. But do we really need a project which focuses primarily on the boys? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. It’s not a stereotype. Girls are more likely than boys to be better at reading, read more frequently and have more positive attitudes towards reading from a very early age.
Schools can nominate girls as Reading Champions, but we recommend that they run the schemes separately and keep a strong focus on the boys. See the Reading Champions for girls section.
Sign your school up to Reading Champions by clicking on join. You will be sent a welcome email, this be followed by sending a toolkit which will be sent through the post within two weeks. You can start nominating boys straight away.
The Reading Champions initiative was developed in response to the continuing national concern about boys' and men's underachievement and the lack of positive role models for boys' reading. It was launched as a nationwide scheme in May 2005 following a pilot with seven primary and secondary schools.
Reading Champions aims to:
View primary school graphs
View secondary school graphs
| |
80px.gif)
