Summer Reading Challenge: keeping primary pupils reading

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The 2010 Summer Reading Challenge has a space theme. Called Space Hop, it will enable children to boldly go to new worlds, where they can discover the joy of reading and nurture a life-long love affair with reading and books. Space Hop coincides with the 350th anniversary of The Royal Society’s scientific endeavours, and the 2010 BBC Year of Science.

For those who don’t know, the Summer Reading Challenge is an immensely popular and successful reading initiative. Now in its twelfth year it reaches 725,000 children aged four to 12 years annually via the UK library network.  According to research by the UK Literacy Association (UKLA) the SRC can help primary schools avoid the "summer holiday dip” in pupils’ reading motivation and attainment, widen pupils’ reading range and repetoire and boost their desire to read at home.

Here’s what some of the teachers who took part in the UKLA research said about pupils who did last year’s Summer Reading Challenge:

“His mum commented on how fantastic the SRC was for H. He really got into it and he has literally learnt to read over the summer.”  Teacher, Brighton.

 “D was a boy who liked short texts and mainly read comics and magazines. Now he’s walking around school with novels, reading them avidly.” Teacher, Coventry. 

Each year the Summer Reading Challenge to children is simple. They’re encouraged to read six or more books of their choice during the summer holidays with collectable incentives and rewards, plus a certificate or medal for every child who completes the Challenge. Children can sign up at their local library and all materials are free.

An interactive Space Hop website (www.spacehop.org.uk) is due to launch in May, linking children with top authors and illustrators, and enabling them to talk about their favourite books and to share reading ideas.

Once again this year there are also large print Summer Reading Challenge materials available for visually impaired children, thanks to the support of the RNIB National Library Service. Also available in a variety of languages are special “family leaflets”. These explain, for parents and carers visiting their local library, the benefits for children doing the Challenge. They also suggest ways of supporting children during the Challenge, and provide joint family reading ideas for the summer.

Teachers and education professionals wanting more information about the Summer Reading Challenge can contact its director, Anne Sarrag, on anne.sarrag@readingagency.org.uk or they can visit www.readingagency.org.uk/children/summer-reading-challenge