2008 National Year of Reading
1 Apr 2008
It’s April, which means it’s the public launch of the UK’s biggest ever reading campaign. Discover how you can get involved…
How often do you read for pure enjoyment alone? The Government is concerned that as a nation we’re simply not reading enough for pleasure. So, this April sees the launch of the National Year or Reading, a campaign to get children (and adults) developing a love of words. Events will be held across the country to celebrate writing in all its forms, from fiction to poetry to magazines – even the ingredients on cereal boxes.
Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, says that the challenge for the year is to ‘spread the passion for reading around the country… so that children, families and adult learners understand the benefits that reading for pleasure and purpose can bring to change their lives.’
Monthly themes
Each month there will be a different theme to inspire reading-related events and activities. Here’s a short breakdown of the topics; a more comprehensive list can be found on the official Year of Reading website at www.yearofreading.org.uk
April: Read all about it – read anything and everything, anywhere and everywhere
May: Mind and body – the links between reading and health
June: Reading escapes – holiday reading, and how reading helps you enter different worlds
July: Rhythm and rhyme – the beauty of poetry and lyrics
August: Read the game – sports and reading
September: You are what you read – cultural, personal and local identities
October: Word of mouth – storytelling, reading out loud, reading together and live literature
November: Screen reads – the diversity of reading and writing; scripts, television and films
December: Write the future – how technology is bringing reading and writing closer together.
Join the celebrations
There are loads of ways that you can get involved – and let other schools know what you are doing. Simply visit the National Year of Reading website for details.
And not ones to miss a good party, we’ve decided to celebrate this fantastic initiative by adding a new comment to our forum. You can submit your top reading tips over the coming year. Each week, we will choose our favourite tip and the tip’s author will receive £50 worth of the latest children’s books. The tips don’t need to be long – we’re simply looking for originality and a love of reading. Plus, even if you win one week you can still enter the next week—providing you offer a new tip, of course!
And that’s not all
Keep checking About books for monthly National Year of Reading-related activities and some rather special NYR surprises…
Or, if you’re after a great selection of ideas for the whole year now, why not buy You Can… Make the Most of the National Year of Reading by Kate Ruttle (Scholastic, £15)? The book is bursting with activities and suggestions for all nine of the monthly themes. So, whether you’re organising an Olympics (‘Read the game’) or simply running a summer reading challenge (‘Reading escapes’), there’s something for everyone. Stay tuned for some sample activities, only on About books!
