Talking about books brings reading to life for primary school students

It's time to give reading a life beyond the classroom, says teaching assistant and librarian Lucy Bakewell
Chatterbooks J Wilson
Encourage primary students to read an discuss books - here childrens author Jacqueline Wilson talks to Chatterbooks club members. Photograph: Dave Warren/Picture by Dave Warren

Talking about books with children is one of the most rewarding things we, as teachers, can do. Reading is the scaffolding on which literacy skills are built and at Hill West Primary School reading is at the heart of our curriculum.

So when I heard about the UK-wide network of Chatterbooks children's reading groups I was instantly hooked on the idea. Creating lifelong readers is well documented as a major factor in children's attainment. The Chatterbooks programme, run by independent charity The Reading Agency, gives a best practice framework for creating inspiring reading groups for primary school aged children, helping them work together to encourage reading for pleasure. It's a simple but effective tool.

Like many schools, we have identified that underachievement in reading impacts on children's progress across the curriculum. Whether due to reluctance or an inability to read, it remains a barrier to their learning. At our school we have put in a lot of time and effort to support pupils through targeted intervention, but for many children extra reading work just doesn't enthuse them and can sometimes have the opposite effect. So what do we do for them? It was for these pupils that I set up a Chatterbooks group at my school. Give a child a book to read in class and it's just another lesson, but what happens if you make reading an experience? That was my aim.

Made up of both reluctant and underachieving year 5 readers (boys and girls), my Chatterbooks group meets every week, but not always in the same place. To kick start their experience, the children (who were then in year 4) were taken to the local public library and set a task, to complete the Summer Reading Challenge. It was on this trip that many of them received their first library card. They then signed up for the challenge and chose their first book. Parents were encouraged to support their child over the holidays and make reading a fun family experience.

In the first week back at school we met in the library to see who had met the challenge. Some had completed it but even those that hadn't had read at least two books, two more than they would usually have read.

My sessions are designed to give children confidence in speaking, reading and writing in a group, choosing books for themselves, and talking about what they like to read. To keep things fresh, each week we meet in a different location, some have been quite unusual. They have included; a reading picnic in the park, ghost stories around a campfire, as well as regular visits to the local library. The children have also become judges for the Red House Children's Book Awards.

In a short time these sessions have made a notable difference to the children both academically and in attitude. The biggest change has been in the children's confidence and willingness to read, which they have carried back into the classroom. Teachers have commented that during lessons, particularly guided reading, the children have been more enthusiastic about taking part and, more importantly, their comprehension of what they are reading has improved measurably too. Their growing confidence and increased exposure to language, grammar and punctuation has also lead to a significant improvement in their written work too, some having made 2 points progress already this year.

Lucy Bakewell is a school librarian and teaching assistant at Hill West Primary School, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands.

• Chatterbooks is currently running a competition for schools. To enter, explain why your school runs a Chatterbooks reading club, or why it is planning to start one, and your primary school could win a visit from top children's writer and Chatterbooks ambassador Jacqueline Wilson. Closing date 14 December 2012.


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