Lucy Banks from Libraries Unlimited shares her tips on how to improve literacy and have fun reading this Summer.
The pandemic has had a huge impact on literacy levels in the UK, with 78% of UK schools flagging reading as a concern.*
Libraries Unlimited know first-hand that families have missed their services during the lockdown and are on a mission to help bridge that gap. They share their tips to have fun reading this Summer here.
1) Pick a favourite scene from a brilliant book you’ve read recently, and recreate it using some Lego or cardboard. Then, share it on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, using the hashtag #Mybestbookmoment.
2) Plant a seed for every book you finish reading. Then, when the seedling sprouts, name the plant after your favourite character in that book.
3) Ask your parents or carers to read their favourite childhood book or comic with you.
4) Read the rainbow – find and read books that have red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet spines. What’s your favourite colour and Instagram it?
5) Who said you had to sit still and read quietly? Turn it into a performance – read to your family, friends or cuddly toys! If you’re feeling especially creative, you could rewrite some scenes from the book as a play and get others to act it out.
6) Do you have Minecraft? If so, try creating a world based on a book you’ve enjoyed recently. Alternatively, grab a pen and paper and draw it. You might find it sparks ideas for your own creative story.
7) Keep a reading diary – but make it fun! Use words, pictures and stickers to review your books, and encourage your friends to do the same.
8) Take your book on your travels – read it on your next woodland picnic, on a bench in a park, or in the snow. It’s also good fun to take photos (these look great in your reading diary).
9) Create the food you find in books, with the help of your parent or carer. What might the BFG’s snozzcumber taste like? What about making a pile of pancakes like Pippi Longstocking? You’ll find lots of funny foods in children’s books to inspire you.
10) Start a book club with your friends. You could do this at school, at the weekend, or even via Zoom if you all live a distance away from each other. Take it in turns to host. Talking about books is fun, regardless of whether you all loved the book or had a real difference of opinion.
11) Listen to an audiobook when you’re next on a long car journey. You might be able to borrow audiobooks from your local library, or download one using an app like BorrowBox or Libby.
12) Read a comic book, then have a go at creating your own! There are lots of great apps to animate your drawings too.
Anyone can get reading with this year’s Summer Reading Challenge, a free activity created by The Reading Agency, and available at your local library. This year’s theme is ‘Gadgeteers’ and is all to do with STEM and your imagination! All you need to do is sign up at your library, read six books, collect stickers along the way, and claim your special certificate at the end.
Libraries Unlimited have created The Secret Book Quest - aimed at kids aged five and older. The Secret Book Quest has been challenging them to read a total of 50 books to collect all the stickers, decipher the code, and win a special prize. Acclaimed illustrator Emily Fox has brought the quest to life by creating a set of characters; Pip, Zena and Libro the cat who invite kids to depart on a reading adventure through 10 themed worlds.
Find out more about Libraries Unlimited here https://www.librariesunlimited.org.uk