caring
I'm going to spill some secrets now...
Reading sadly isn't for everyone, some just don't have the wires to transmit the imagery and words into their subconscious and turn on relaxation and enjoyment from it. For others, it is simply reluctance, I suppose we all crave enjoyment and will choose sociable ways rather than solitude. So, playing games online against real or imagined mates wins over reading about slaying dragons on your own. The films work because it's done for us so visually.
Also, the media and even our peers recommend other things over reading, TV, shopping, coffee, sport etc...
Sadly, with libraries being seen as less relevant and too expensive for society and the majority of schools not having funding for books or librarians or sadly even having libraries anyway, it's hard to see how books and reading become more loved.
Weirdly in smaller countries either by size or population,reading is seen as culturally cool and even more social than it is here.
I think more coffee chains need to actively advertise books and reading, if the public sees it more, it wants it more.
We need to encourage children to read and love stories way before we ever introduce them to TV and DVDs, they are stimulating, but in all honesty they end up being pervasive and stop the simpler more effective medium of book.
Every school every day needs to do 15 minutes at start and end of day as active reading, either orally, audibly or alone.
Every classroom should have a reading wall, I see displays which take ages..for topics which pass...the underlying topic that needs the most visual encouragement is simply MORE BOOKS and READING, not Technology and not Screen reading.
I see schools behind shopping voucher schemes, yes, they often gain something... but at high cost, the old Tesco voucher scheme, I think I equated it was £2000 spent by parents for a £20 voucher for the school...what a con..but it was endorsed, to offer an even more cynical topic in, I had a school say, when I went with a flyer for book events, we don't allow advertising through school, I thought, OK, am I advertising, I thought, NO, I'm not, I'm promoting something good... so I was a bit put out and angry to be honest, it felt wrong.
But, I wonder if they ask parents for contributions and to support the schemes? I'd say so... so they are morally wrong...
Anyway, with my new hat on... Sally-Anne and I from www.purplepenguinpublishing.com are trialling a new Read On Get On scheme, her school
Alsop High have just started it, and YA bestselling author Kate Maryon launched it on World Book Day, it's featuring in the Educator magazine and Joseph Delaney is doing an event on 26th April too.
Reading is such a powerful tool, both mentally and emotionally and even physically, seriously it helps everything.
So, we need to ALL do it more and share it and encourage it. When we launched Harry Potter 5 which I think was the 1st midnight launch, I went out in Formby to get fresh air at 9 am I'd not slept due to all the fun, there were 2 children either end of a bench oblivious to the world sat reading the new book, I did have a picture it was used by the Formby Times, it's buried in my past hard drives sadly. It was such a powerful thing to see, I actually cried a little. We just don't see this enough, grown men crying... NO! kids sat reading, take pix and uplod them #kidslovereading maybe. Hide their faces by all means if safeguarding is the thing, use angles etc...
So, I can be booked for a school visit and do sessions on encouraging reading, I promise it'll be worth it and fun and if you want activities too, we can do that with Sally-Anne as a teacher involved just ask, we can do Tuesdays 12.45-1.45 with her and Friday afternoons, I'm free by booking as I'm self employed, it's just down to diary availability.
I've resourced a list of 100 books so far, I'll keep adding more, it'd be nice that you order through us by Paypal or Invoice and get 20% which is the bit we've all allowed Amazon to nab for no real gain as it goes. By all means look there as it's a good search engine, but then..ask us!
I can do assemblies with Powerpoint and even better is guided reading in groups, we need abit of time to get rapport then we race...
I hope you get in touch and do read my other blog posts, I sulk otherwise...
Keep Reading you'll be a better person...
Reading sadly isn't for everyone, some just don't have the wires to transmit the imagery and words into their subconscious and turn on relaxation and enjoyment from it. For others, it is simply reluctance, I suppose we all crave enjoyment and will choose sociable ways rather than solitude. So, playing games online against real or imagined mates wins over reading about slaying dragons on your own. The films work because it's done for us so visually.
Also, the media and even our peers recommend other things over reading, TV, shopping, coffee, sport etc...
Sadly, with libraries being seen as less relevant and too expensive for society and the majority of schools not having funding for books or librarians or sadly even having libraries anyway, it's hard to see how books and reading become more loved.
Weirdly in smaller countries either by size or population,reading is seen as culturally cool and even more social than it is here.
I think more coffee chains need to actively advertise books and reading, if the public sees it more, it wants it more.
We need to encourage children to read and love stories way before we ever introduce them to TV and DVDs, they are stimulating, but in all honesty they end up being pervasive and stop the simpler more effective medium of book.
Every school every day needs to do 15 minutes at start and end of day as active reading, either orally, audibly or alone.
Every classroom should have a reading wall, I see displays which take ages..for topics which pass...the underlying topic that needs the most visual encouragement is simply MORE BOOKS and READING, not Technology and not Screen reading.
I see schools behind shopping voucher schemes, yes, they often gain something... but at high cost, the old Tesco voucher scheme, I think I equated it was £2000 spent by parents for a £20 voucher for the school...what a con..but it was endorsed, to offer an even more cynical topic in, I had a school say, when I went with a flyer for book events, we don't allow advertising through school, I thought, OK, am I advertising, I thought, NO, I'm not, I'm promoting something good... so I was a bit put out and angry to be honest, it felt wrong.
But, I wonder if they ask parents for contributions and to support the schemes? I'd say so... so they are morally wrong...
Anyway, with my new hat on... Sally-Anne and I from www.purplepenguinpublishing.com are trialling a new Read On Get On scheme, her school
Alsop High have just started it, and YA bestselling author Kate Maryon launched it on World Book Day, it's featuring in the Educator magazine and Joseph Delaney is doing an event on 26th April too.
Reading is such a powerful tool, both mentally and emotionally and even physically, seriously it helps everything.
So, we need to ALL do it more and share it and encourage it. When we launched Harry Potter 5 which I think was the 1st midnight launch, I went out in Formby to get fresh air at 9 am I'd not slept due to all the fun, there were 2 children either end of a bench oblivious to the world sat reading the new book, I did have a picture it was used by the Formby Times, it's buried in my past hard drives sadly. It was such a powerful thing to see, I actually cried a little. We just don't see this enough, grown men crying... NO! kids sat reading, take pix and uplod them #kidslovereading maybe. Hide their faces by all means if safeguarding is the thing, use angles etc...
So, I can be booked for a school visit and do sessions on encouraging reading, I promise it'll be worth it and fun and if you want activities too, we can do that with Sally-Anne as a teacher involved just ask, we can do Tuesdays 12.45-1.45 with her and Friday afternoons, I'm free by booking as I'm self employed, it's just down to diary availability.
I've resourced a list of 100 books so far, I'll keep adding more, it'd be nice that you order through us by Paypal or Invoice and get 20% which is the bit we've all allowed Amazon to nab for no real gain as it goes. By all means look there as it's a good search engine, but then..ask us!
I can do assemblies with Powerpoint and even better is guided reading in groups, we need abit of time to get rapport then we race...
I hope you get in touch and do read my other blog posts, I sulk otherwise...
Keep Reading you'll be a better person...