Books for Keeps readers urged to support Just Read Campaign

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The Just Read Campaign, an industry-wide initiative to promote reading for pleasure in schools, launches on Friday 23rd April with the aim of making every child in the UK a reader.

Research (www.ukla.org/research) has shown that the child that reads for pleasure is more likely to achieve.  Despite this government statistics and international research show that reading standards are not improving in the UK and that enjoyment of reading is declining.

The Just Read Campaign will lobby the new government to address this disparity by recognising the importance of teachers and schools having a sound knowledge of children’s books. For example, it advocates that initial teacher education (primary and secondary) includes a compulsory module on the role of children’s books and reading for pleasure in the teaching of reading.

Just Read founders former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen and author Celia Rees  invite Books for Keeps readers to join the campaign by signing up on the website (www.JustReadCampaign.co.uk) and plan to present the statement and signatories to the new government after the election in May.

‘Children make meanings out of what they read and make leaps and bounds in their thinking and feeling when they read widely and often’
Michael Rosen

‘I would urge everybody who believes that reading is important, that it has the power to develop minds and transform lives, to sign up to the Just Read Campaign’
Celia Rees.