Reading for pleasure

What does reading for pleasure do for school children?

Read about how this ground-breaking research is fostering children's love of reading across the UK.

The challenge

The role of reading for pleasure – RfP – in education is neither well-known nor fully understood. In recent years, teaching has focused on literacy targets and tests, and reports indicate that English children find little satisfaction in reading. Educators cannot require children to read and find pleasure in the experience, but they can share their passion for reading. Teachers’ knowledge of children’s literature and other texts is not yet recognised as a requirement, yet our ‘Teachers as Readers’ research has shown it plays a significant role in developing the habit of reading in childhood. Research has also proved that being a childhood reader positively influences lifetime achievement. On average, adults with functional literacy (defined as ‘reading well at age 11’) earn 16% more than those without this level of literacy. To improve social justice, we must find ways to help children advance their literacy. A powerful way to achieve this is to develop children who can and do choose to read widely and frequently.

How we tackled it

The project’s Phase One data suggested that many teachers do not possess a broad enough knowledge of children’s literature and other texts to foster RfP and reader development. The Phase One survey of 1,200 teachers revealed a worrying lack of subject knowledge and professional over-reliance on personal childhood favourites and ‘celebrity’ writers. Roald Dahl, who was cited by many teachers as their childhood author of choice, was so dominant that he reduced the range and breadth of writers being introduced to children. Phase Two positioned 43 teachers as co-participant researchers and explored their knowledge, practice and impact on children’s RfP over a year.

In Phase Two, the teachers began to read children’s literature, not just as teachers but as engaged readers. Their discussions shifted from how a book could be used to teach literacy objectives to how it affected them emotionally. By widening their repertoires, they became more confident teachers. The project demonstrated that to nurture readers, teachers not only need a rich repertoire of children’s literature, but also a secure RfP pedagogy. This encompasses reading aloud as well as time to read and talk informally about books in a social reading environment. When teachers recognise their professional responsibility to expand their repertoires of children’s literature and other texts, they are enabled to talk about these texts, make tailored reader-to-reader recommendations and foster RfP.

Academic lead

This research project was led by Teresa Cremin, Professor of Education (Literacy) alongside the Reading for Pleasure project team which is made up of academics and teachers from across the UK. Professor Cremin is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, (AcSS) the Royal Society of the Arts (RSA) and the English Association (EA). Additionally, she is a Trustee of the UK Literacy Association (UKLA) and a Visiting Professor at Edge Hill University. In 2020 Professor Cremin was appointed Reading Expert for the English Hubs Council in which she helps inform the strategic direction taken by the Council in its drive to improve literacy and language learning in young children in England.

Partner organisations

To ensure our work achieves the greatest possible benefit for children across education, we work with major organisations who influence the sector. Our research, funded by the Esme Fairburn Foundation, Carnegie Foundation, the UK Literacy Association and the British Academy, has involved us in partnerships to date with schools, higher education institutions, publishers, The Reading Agency, Coram Beanstalk, the BBC and the Department for Education.

Impact

Since 2017, working with the UK Literacy Association, 69 schools, 30 HEIs and numerous publishers we have pioneered a series of initiatives to support and enhance teaching practice that will instil a love of reading in the young. School development projects, student teacher initiatives, annual RfP Awards and the establishment of over 200 OU/UKLA Teacher Reading Groups (TRGs) have all been influential. With over 600 members, the TRGs alone reach approximately 900,000 pupils around the country. We also co-created a knowledge-sharing platform with teachers to invite engagement and encourage the development of collective RfP expertise. This offers diverse resources including filmed interviews, classroom clips, PowerPoints for professional development, audits, and children’s attitude surveys to support professional learning. Informed and transformed by our research, over 450 newly inspired teachers have shared their research-informed practice on this community website.

What was achieved

The OU Reading for Pleasure project has impacted positively upon:

“This year we had 100% of our children reaching [Key Stage 2 SAT] expected levels, which in our catchment is incredible. But we also had 50% of our students reaching greater depth – I absolutely put that down to RfPJulie Doyle
Teacher Reading Group Leader, Nottingham

• The understanding, learning and practice of primary schools, primary school practitioners, ITE providers and student teachers by transforming whole school RfP practice; shaping RfP-related ITE provision; and influencing pupils reading practices and attainment.
• Public policy of Department for Education and related bodies who have a responsibility for developing reading skills in primary education by influencing national RfP initiatives.

The project has pioneered a RfP movement involving teachers, student teachers and school leaders established specifically to enrich children's lives as engaged readers. It has also galvanised and reshaped provision more widely through work with DfE and other organisations.

In an OU/UKLA Member Evaluation of Teacher Reading Groups, 87% reported positive impact on their children’s RfP, noting more positive attitudes, a keenness to discuss and recommend books, wider repertoires and a desire to read more both at home and at school.

Testimonials

As a school, we have found the findings of Teresa’s research very accessible to implement into everyday school practice. In particular, her research is embedded in current classroom practice enabling teachers to see what research into practice looks like. Teachers have been able to connect with the children in their classes and begun to build reciprocal and social relationships where reading is openly discussed. Lisa Hesmondhalgh
Headteacher Peover & English Lead, Aspire Educational Trust

Teresa’s research and this partnership has definitely supported UKLA in increasing our membership numbers, reaching different audiences. There is evidence of a strong research-led RfP thread running through all UKLA’s work now. For instance, award-winning teachers (from the new RfP Award the OU and UKLA set up with Egmont) have been invited to join UKLA National Council to keep the profile of the RfP research high and to recognise their work. Our partnership with Professor Cremin and the extensive range of OU/ UKLA RfP work has enabled the Association to make more direct links with schools than was ever possible before, and as she is now a #GreatSchoolLibraries Ambassador and on the DfE English Hub Council sub-committee for RfP, our voice and work also shapes the agenda more widely.

Tracy Parvin
President UK Literacy Association, Canterbury Christ Church University

Trainee teachers’ engagement with the OU RfP material and pedagogy has had a deep impact on their confidence as teachers, as teachers of Reading for Pleasure, and as Reading Teachers. ... In my opinion the project is transformational.

Karen Morris
Senior Lecturer, Edge Hill University