Reading Matters New Website

We are really pleased to have a new website that really promotes and supports all Reading Matters activities. With details of our key services (Reading Mentors, Reading Leaders, Reading Families and Reading Teams) and downloadable resources including Fun Sheets, Case Studies, Research and Information Packs.

Take a look at www.readingmatters.org.uk, and get involved:

• Leave a comment on the blog
• See the latest updates from our Facebook page, please like us! 
• Sign up for the new Email Bulletin 
• Check out the Events Calendar

This blog has been incorporated into the new website, so in future posts will be added there. You may want to update any subscriptions you have set up.

Showcomotion Youth Jury

This afternoon Reading Matters meeting for Reading Mentors and Co-ordinators is kindly being hosted by The Showroom Cinema. 


We will be there because we have some exciting events lined up as part of the Showcomotion, Young People's Film Festival; watch this space!


In the meantime, they are looking for to recruit members of the Showcomotion Youth Jury members to watch some great films, and award the Showcomotion Jury Award for 2012.

I think it would be perfect for our Reading Leaders, but great for any young people aged 11 to 18, so why not get involved...

Prime Minister says "Reading Matters"

David Cameron reads with Divine Obijiaku: from Evening Standard Website

There is a nice article on the Evening Standard website about the Prime Minister's visit to a London school. He was checking out the Get London Reading campaign. It's a very similar model to ours here at Reading Matters; using Reading Volunteers to improve literacy.


To hammer home the point here is a quote

Reading matters for two simple reasons, he told pupils. "If we don't learn to read properly, then everything else in education is a closed book. But above and beyond that, reading is a joy and a pleasure and it is for life."

Picture This! Illustrating Children’s Books at Gallery Oldham

I have just read about the rather wonderful sounding Picture This! Illustrating Children’s Books show at Gallery Oldham on the equally wonderful blog by Lynne Chapman. 


It sounds great, with illustrations from children’s books family activities. It includes some big names too: Shirley Hughes, Anthony Browne, Jez Alborough and Helen Stephens. 

Lynnes' doing a big family event on Saturday 28 January and the exhibition is on to 11 March, so lots of time to make the trip!

Free to download: How to Choose Children’s Books

I just got a copy of the free to download: How to Choose Children’s Books by Aaron Mead.

It is really comprehensive, and just a little over-whelming!

It contains

• Practical tips on picking great books for kids of all ages—infant through young adult.
• Guidance on what makes books attractive and developmentally valuable for children.
• Analysis of themes, illustrations, stories, and the use of humor in children’s books.
• Philosophical reflections on the role of children’s books in the development of moral character.
• A comprehensive list of online resources for finding excellent children’s literature, including book lists, sources of professional book reviews, and children’s literature blogs.

A key message for me, is that just because a book looks attractive to an adult doesn't mean it is going to be right for a young person. 

It's an eBook so full of links to further reviews and resources. I think our Reading Mentors, families and other people working one-to-one with young people will find it very interesting.

New Baby - Little Parachutes

My start with Reading Matters was two weeks after the birth of my first daughter, Rose, see my very first blog post. Well three years later, a new baby is on the way:

It is exciting times, I may not be to coherent around the end of April!

To prepare Rose for becoming a big sister I have been looking for reading recommendations. The Little Parachutes website, in conjunction with the local library, has proved really useful. Little Parachutes provides suggestions for 'picture books to help with life's challenges' such as a new baby. I can really recommend The Perfect Baby by Tony Bradman and Holly Swain.


With other subjects including Hospitals/Operations, Fear of the Dark, Moving House, Starting School and Healthy Eating it is great for exploring issues with children via reading.

Learning is lovely: 12 days of Learning Pool gifts

I have just received the fifth gift from the Learning Pools 12 days of gifts. A really nice children's Christmas Activity Pack. Just right for reading partnerships. Whether it is Christmas or not The Learning Pool has all sorts of nice resources to check out.

Volunteering Fair at the Sinai Synagogue in Leeds

A message from Christine Elliott about the Volunteering Fair at the Sinai Synagogue that took place last week:

Thank you to all those who made the volunteering Fair at the Sinai Synagogue in Leeds such a great event last Sunday. The hosts were extremely welcoming and I am pleased that so many people came to our Reading Matters stand to find out what we did and what volunteering opportunities were available.There were a whole host of other organisations there so it was also beneficial to chat with other voluntary organisations. Our volunteers, Pat Reader, Joan Hick, Jenny Homes and Alison House did a brilliant job manning the stand and sharing their knowledge and I understand they all enjoyed the day so many thanks to them for giving up their time. The event was so successful I understand that the organisers are considering holding another one again next year.

 Christine Elliott, Reading Matters Volunteer Co-ordinator and Alison House Volunteer Reading Mentor at The David Young Academy

Reading Matters Continuing Professional Development Opportunities

Reading Matters has a new office in Sheffield. Scotia Works is a superb training venue and I hope we'll tempt some people to pay us a visit and to help boost literacy with these Continuing Professional Development opportunities. Alternative dates are available in Leeds and Bradford next year.

MANAGING READING MENTORS WORKSHOP    23 January 2012A half-day workshop to develop best practice recruiting, supporting and retaining volunteer reading mentors from the local community.“Exactly what I needed to give me confidence with the reading volunteers I have starting next week!” Cathy Hogg, Shortbrook Primary School, Sheffield

SUPPORTING READING DEVELOPMENT TRAINING         16 March 2012An interactive, accredited training day for professionals who support young people’s literacy. We’ll provide strategies to help tackle low levels of literacy and self-esteem, supporting reading development one-to-one or in groups.
“A fantastic day” Laura Benn, Wath Comprehensive School, Rotherham

Please download a poster with a little more info and/or a booking form to reserve a place.

New Reading Matters Office in Sheffield

Reading Matters office in Sheffield has moved. We are now at:

Reading Matters
Scotia Works
Leadmill Road
Sheffield
S1 4SE
Tel: 0114 241 2743

Please update your address books.

This new location at Scotia Works is a wonderful location next to Sheffield Railway station, with some great training spaces that would be perfect for Reading Matters training. Reading Matters specialises in one-to-one support to motivate young people to reach their potential by becoming confident and enthusiastic readers. We provide support via:

• adults as volunteer reading mentors
• young people as reading leaders
• parents and carers to help their own families
• professional staff with a responsibility for literacy

Get in touch if this sounds of interest, it would be great to hear from you.

Sheffield Summer Reading Challenge Volunteer 2011

A few weeks ago we had a celebration event for the Sheffield Volunteers who supported the Summer Reading Challenge in 2011 and their parents. It was a great event. With each of the volunteers presented with a certificate and goodie bag by Dr Sylvia Dunkley, the Lord Mayor of Sheffield.

I have just got this great photo and a wonderful quote from one of the volunteers:

I want to say thanks to you [all] for the ceremony. It was a great and unforgettable experience.

I agree, it was a lovely evening. Everyone was great!

Involve Yorkshire and Humber - Swan Lake heads only!

I have been to a couple of Involve Yorkshire and Humber events recently, their Village hall to Whitehall: local government and the voluntary and community sector conference and Learning and Skills Voluntary Sector Network meeting. Both very interesting with lots of great people in attendance. 


The Village hall to Whitehall event was at the Northern Ballet in Leeds.  The post-lunch energiser was a heads-only version of Swan Lake. And inevitably this is the photo of me they have used.


No harm in looking a bit silly; here is Kate Winslet Reading one of my favourite Mr Gum books at the Port Eliot Festival in St Germans, Cornwall.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in Rotherham

One of our Reading Mentors just sent me this one-line email:

"I am sure you will have better things to do on a Saturday morning, but there is a programme at 10.30 on Radio 4 about what Dolly Parton has done for reading in Rotherham!!!" 

She couldn't be more wrong, I can think of no better way to spend a Saturday morning! I immediately looke for for some more info: BBC Radio 4 - How Dolly Got Rotherham Reading.

Thanks Anne.

Bideford Learning Community Book Relief Training July 2011

Last week I was in Bideford, North Devon, training 30 Volunteer Reading Mentors and School co-ordinators to begin reading sessions in Bideford Primary Schools in September.

We had a wonderful couple of training days full of enthusiasm and ideas, it was an inspiration, as was the Devon landscape.

Organised by the local Book Relief charity and The Bideford Learning Community, and funded by Awards for All and The Bideford Bridge Trust, I know the programme is going to be a huge success. I don't usually make a big deal of the end of training session evaluation forms, but there are some lovely comments from these particular days:

• Excellent course, I feel very confident and very excited about becoming a Reading Mentor
• Very useful and easy to understand. Will be able to use what I have learnt with confidence
• Very useful information, relaxed atmosphere, friendly tutor
• So encouraging, very informative and feel equipped to start reading mentoring
• A great day full of good tips, knowledge and [I am] looking forward to starting
• Encouraging, very informative - ready to put into practice at school.
• Richard was very encouraging and a brilliant course leader, time passed very quickly and I've gained loads of useful skills today, thank you.
• Tutor was very informative and was made to feel comfortable with what I was learning and doing
• I am looking forward to being school co-ordinator for our mentors, very exciting!

Continued Professional Development Opportunity - Supporting Reading Development

one day accredited training course

11 July - Sheffield, Bannerdale Centre

14 July - Huddersfield, Brian Jackson House

An interactive training day for professionals who support children’s literacy:

• Gain an insight into the literacy curriculum
• Understand how children develop reading skills
• Diagnose reading difficulties
• Develop strategies to improve pupils’ reading skills and confidence
• Develop experience and confidence in supporting pupils to become enthusiastic and confident readers
• Analyse reading support practice
• Prepare for NOCN Level 2 accreditation
• Lunch and refreshments provided

Just £195 per person

Please contact 01274 692219 or info@readingmatters.org.uk

Download a poster [pdf] to display on your notice board. 

Book Relief - Community Volunteer Reading Mentors Programme in partnership with the Bideford Learning Community

Reading Matters will be delivering some accredited training and support sessions on 6 and 7 July to prepare Volunteer Reading Mentors to deliver reading sessions in Bideford schools.

It is an exciting new progamme organised by the Book Relief in partnership the Bideford Learning Community.

Full details are available on the Book Relief website. Do take a look, especially if you would like to become a Volunteer Reading Mentor in a Bideford school and really help to improve the reading skills and confidence of young people, and gain some valuable work experience and a national accreditation.

Peace in the Park Festival Self Help Africa Reading Aloud World Record Attempt

Via the Reading Zone Website, I learnt about a great event at my favourite local festival.

One of the chosen causes at the Peace in the Park Festival on 4 June 2011 in Sheffield is Self Help Africa. At the festival they are going to try and break the World Record for the most adults reading aloud to children.

They will be reading Lion Storyteller Bedtime Book led by story-teller Shona Leigh, and will be attended by adjudicators acting on behalf of the Guinness Book of Records.

I go to the festival most years, it is always great fun. This year sounds especially good!

Books = Good | Games = Bad !

An interesting response to a new British Cohort Study by Mark Taylor of Nuffield College, Oxford. The project analysed data from 17,200 people, looking at which activities they did in their spare time for pleasure at age 16 in 1986, responses were checked against the jobs they were doing at the age of 33, in 2003. The resulting headlines show the various interpretation of outcomes:

• Telegraph - Reading as teenager gets you a better job
• BBC Today Programme - The benefits of reading for pleasure
• Daily Mail - Forget music lessons and sports clubs... reading in your teens is the key to a good career
• Express - Bookworm teenagers are most likely to get top jobs
• Guardian - Computer gamers less likely to go to university

It's a timely study as sales of electronic books overtake physical versions in the US, adding further to the hazy divide between spare time activities.

Overall I'd suggest it's a welcome study, but doesn't teach us too much, a passion for reading (in any format) will stand you in good stead.

Crystal Peaks Library | World Book Day | Save Our Libraries

An important community event in aid of World Book Day (3 March 2011) is taking place in Crystal Peaks Library to help promote libraries in a bid to 'Save our libraries'.

A full day of events taking place for adults and children, including readings from famous authors and a visit from The Lord Mayor of Sheffield.

Michelin Starred TV Chef and author Tessa Bramley talks about her books and books that have influenced her life.

Award winning play write and novelist Elizabeth Baines, reads from her books and talks about how libraries played a role in her life.

Local author Martyn Johnson reads from his book "What's tha up to, memoirs of an Attercliffe Bobby" and talks about his involvement in the making of the book Black Diamonds.

Local poet Rob Hindle reads from his books and talks.

Local Community theatre group read from children's books and plays.

Workshop on reading to your children.

I am not going to make it, I'll be at the FOOTSEY Expo, but I hope some Reading Matters representatives will be there.

Reading, Communicating, Mentoring

This week I was at the northern launch of the National Year of Communication - Hello, it was a different audience than I am used to, lots of Speech and Language Therapists and people from Early Years settings such as Children's Centres. There are some good resources on the Hello website if you want more information.

It reminded me about how reading is just once facet of communication, but also what a difference the reading partnerships we help facilitate can make to all aspects of children's lives, a sample quote;

At 11 years old only a fifth of children with significant speech, language and communication needs reach the expected levels for their age in both English and Maths

Another benefit of successful reading partnerships is the supportive relationships they help build. Reading Matters have been working with the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation to really explore this aspect of the reading partnerships.Their Supporting Life's Journeys Campaign is a great way for anyone to sign up to the the cause.