Book Week Scotland and the Reading Hour for Schools (Levels 0-4)
Resource created by Scottish Book Trust
Contents of this resource
Classroom Activities...... 3
Whole School Activities...... 5
Activities in the Community...... 10
Useful links...... 13
Book Week Scotland and the Reading Hour
Book Week Scotland is the country’s national celebration of books and reading, taking place from the 26th November to 2nd December 2012. It provides a great opportunity for you to get the whole school involved in celebrating the pleasure of reading!
With reading for pleasure at the heart of the new curriculum, promoting enjoyment and choice in reading is high on every school’s agenda. Book Week Scotland will give you a chance to focus on the pleasure of reading for its own sake, and encourage pupils and staff to share their experiences of reading with each other.
The aim of the Reading Hour (which takes place at 11 a.m. on Friday 30th November) is to get as many people in the country as possible reading at the same time. This is an easy and fun way to participate in Book Week Scotland, and gives you a chance to really build excitement and anticipation! In this resource, you will find a number of ideas to help you make the most of the Reading Hour.
Book Week Scotland is a great opportunity for everyone in a school community to make time for reading for pleasure – pupils, teachers, school management, classroom assistants, school staff and families. This is the time to read together, share favourite books, talk about why reading is important to each of you and most of all to have FUN!
Many of the activities in the resource are applicable to more than one stage of the curriculum. To save space in the resource, all of the most commonly appearing links are at level 3: just remember that most of the activities can be applied at all stages of the curriculum.
Scottish Book Trust would love to hear about what your school gets up to during Book Week Scotland! If you have photos of your activities which you would like to share, please get in touch via our Facebook page or Twitter account – details are below:
Scottish Book Trust on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scottishbktrust?fref=ts
Scottish Book Trust on Twitter: https://twitter.com/scottishbktrust
Alternatively, if you want to submit photos via email, or if you would like to write a blog for our Learning section about what your school is doing during Book Week Scotland, please email .[1]
Classroom Activities
Things to do during Reading Hour
Share your Reading Hour recommendations with another school Tch 3-03a, Tch 3-04a, Lit 3-11a, Lit 3-09a
Your class could confer with another class of pupils at a different school to tell each other what they will be reading during the Reading Hour. You could set up a GLOW meet – there are some handy guides here: https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/GlowingHelp/?cat=3019
Carry out a Reading Hour survey Lit 3-28a, Lit 3-14a
You could appoint a team of pupil researchers to find out what their peers are reading during the Reading Hour.
Create a Reading Hour challenge Lit 3-11a, Eng 3-27a
You could challenge pupils to find ‘quick reads’ - books from the school library which can be read in an hour. They could then write a quick synopsis of the book and everyone’s quick reads could be compiled into a leaflet or poster full of recommendations.
Things to do throughout Book Week Scotland
Register your class to vote in the Scottish Children’s Book Awards Lit 3-11a
It’s free and easy to register your class to take part, and we have a set of great teaching resources for each age category! Find out more at http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/scottish-childrens-book-awards.
‘If you liked this book, try…’ bookmarks Lit 3-11a, Exa 3-06a
This is a great idea from the National Literacy Trust! Pupils can create bookmarks to leave inside books when they return them to the library. On the bookmarks, they can put their book recommendations to other readers. They can recommend other texts by the same authors, or other texts of the same genre: http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/practical_ideas/3160_practical_idea-if_you_liked_this_book_try_bookmarks
Create a River of Reading Lit 3-11a, Lit 3-28a
Pupils are often unaware of the extent to which they read. Creating a “River of Reading” with them can help open their eyes to how much reading they actually do.
Get them to draw two wavy lines representing a river, and in between the lines ask them to write down everything they read over (for example) one week. This must include functional reading like bus timetables, cinema tickets and instruction manuals. After one week, they should have a clear illustration of how big a role reading plays in their lives.
Having a greater awareness of the choices they have made as readers can help pupils to choose their future reading.
You can choose to model this process to your pupils by creating your own River of Reading.
Poetry Vandalism Eng 3-31a, Lit 3-20a
Poetry Vandalism is a great idea which allows pupils to discover poetry in unusual places! Have a look at this blog on Scottish Book Trust’s website, which gives more detail: http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/blog/learning/2012/05/poetry-vandalism
Write a letter of recommendation lit 3-11a, Eng 3-19a, Lit 3-29a
Ask your pupils to pick a book they like, and imagine that it has not yet been published. They can imagine they are a literary agent, writing a letter to a publisher trying to convince them to publish the book. They can focus on the following areas:
· Why the book will appeal to its target audience;
· What it is about the book that makes you want to keep reading;
· How well constructed the characters are;
· How rich the setting is.
Compile a list of recommendations for the library Lit 3-11a (Lit 4-11a if pupils are able to independently find a website or other source)
You can ask pupils to compile a list of possible books for the library to bring in next year. The following websites should help to start you off:
Pan MacMillan children’s books: http://www.panmacmillan.com/childrenshome
Hodder: http://www.hodderchildrens.co.uk/
Carnegie Medal for Children’s Fiction: http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/carnegie/
My Favourite Books – Teachers are readers too! Lit 3-11a, Lit 3-09a
Start each day or each lesson by reading a short extract from one of your favourite books and share with your class what you particularly like about it. Ask them which of their favourites they like for similar reasons.
Book openings Lit 3-11a, Eng 3-27a
The opening few sentences of a book are what really draws the reader in. You could get your pupils to suggest their favourite openings, and hold a class vote on which is the best. This task could also be extended through the whole school, and you could put a twist on it by asking pupils to write their own openings.
Whole School Activities
Things to do during Reading Hour
Create a poster for your event
You can use Scottish Book Trust’s Book Week Scotland poster to advertise your event. The poster has an empty space for you to fill in the details of your event. Just go back to the same page you downloaded these resources from and you’ll find the poster!
Create intrigue about the Reading Hour Exa 3-06a, Eng 3-27a
You can build excitement and anticipation about the Reading Hour by basing your activities around the idea that something big is happening, but not telling the pupils what it is!
You could appoint a Reading Hour committee of pupils who can design a campaign designed to build intrigue. This could include posters or short videos.
Spreading the word about the Reading Hour Lit 3-11a, Tch 3-03a, Tch 3-04a
Your pupils could design posters for the Reading Hour to display around the school. To help other departments engage with the Reading Hour, your pupils could design posters specifically for other teachers to fill in, along the lines of, “The book I will be reading during The Reading Hour is...”.
Your pupils could also set up a blog about the Reading Hour, and share their experiences with another school. Secondary pupils could find texts suitable for primary pupils and then make recommendations to primary teachers through the blog. You can find a guide to getting started with GLOW blogs here: https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/glowblogs/GlowingHelp/?p=1428
Bring the whole school together for Reading Hour Lit 3-11a
If you are a reasonably small school why not all get together in the hall to share reading hour? You could all read your own books, or different classes could share favourite books with one another, or older pupils could read with younger buddies.
If you are a large school where a whole school gathering is difficult, could you share Reading Hour as a year group?
Things to do throughout Book Week Scotland
“I am currently reading” badges Lit 3-11a, Exa 3-06a
You can ask everyone in school – including all staff and any visitors – to wear an “I am currently reading” badge. You could get pupils to design their own badges following this guide: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Badge-Pin
Use an Authors Live video! (CFE outcomes will vary depending on the activities which come out of this)
Scottish Book Trust’s Authors Live program is packed full of great videos for you to watch again with your pupils. Have a look through our Watch on Demand section for authors you think your pupils will love! http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/watch-on-demand
For ideas on how to use the events, have a look at this video in our CPD section, in which a school plans a day of activities around Francesca Simon’s Horrid Henry event: http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/learning/CPD/toolkits/engage-whole-school-with-authors-live-event
Set up a pupils’ reading group and create book lists Lit 3-11a, Lit 3-28a
You could involve a pupils’ reading group very closely in Book Week Scotland by asking them to compile book lists! Take your cue from the Rapid Readers group at Carluke High, who put together lists of books such as “ The books we couldn’t put down”, “Books that we’d like to be made into a film”, and “Saddest books”: http://cookbooks.glowscotland.org.uk/blog/2010/09/01/rapid-readers-using-glow-to-support-a-lunchtime-reading-club/
If you have school radio, you could set up a radio programme dedicated to celebrating the pupils’ favourite books. The following links should provide some ideas, inspiration and guidance:
Sandaig Primary’s podcasts: http://www.sandaigprimary.co.uk/radio_sandaig/index.php
A collection of resources helping you to make your own podcast: http://www.recap.ltd.uk/podcasting/info/podresources.php
Podcasting advice from Teaching Ideas: http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/ict/podcasting.htm
SBT’s Book Talk podcast on The Hunger Games, featuring pupils from Holyrood High School: http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/booktalk/the-hunger-games-the-echo-chamber
Duncanrig High School’s account of setting up a radio broadcasting project: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/sharingpractice/i/improvingcommunicationskillsduncanrigradio/introduction.asp?strReferringChannel=learningteachingandassessment&strReferringPageID=tcm:4-566126-64
Design new book jackets for books in the library Lit 3-11a, Exa 3-03a
You could ask pupils to design new jackets for their favourite books, or even books which they feel need a better cover! You can build in lots of discussion about what makes a good cover, and then let the class judge whose cover is best.
Organise a school reading committee Lit 3-11a (Lit 4-11a if pupils are able to independently find a source of book recommendations)
You could take volunteers (or even hold elections) for a reading committee, which can decide on activities. The committee could contribute book recommendations for different genres (you could appoint each member of the committee to the role of an expert in a particular genre). They could broadcast this through a school newsletter or magazine, or through school radio.
The committee could create displays for the library and be in charge of keeping the displays up to date with new recommendations.
Reading Assemblies Lit 3-11a, Lit 3-09a, Lit 3-02a, Lit 3-03a, Lit 3-01a
Assemblies are the ideal opportunity for you to promote books. Ideas can include:
· A book recommendation section, where a pupil or staff member can recommend one of their favourite reads;
· A GLOW meet with a literary character (one of the teachers in disguise);
· A GLOW meet with another school, sharing recommendations;
· A ‘most despicable character’ trial! You could hold a school vote on the most despicable character ever to appear in a children’s book, and then hold a trial where all the evidence is considered. You can get pupils to call out with their evidence, and then shout for the character they think should be convicted...
Invite a local writer or illustrator to the school (CFE outcomes will vary depending on the activities which come out of this)
The expertise and enthusiasm of professional writers can help you to deliver some great projects in school! Have a look through our database to find the right person for you: http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/author-search
Our Learning Blog and LLF in action Blog both have some great examples of what can be done with the assistance of a professional artist.
Staff interviews Lit 3-09a
You could get pupils to interview other members of staff about their favourite books. Questions could include:
· What was your favourite book as a child?
· Are there any books you would recommend to pupils?
· What’s the best non-fiction book you’ve read recently?
· How do you choose the books you read?
· What was the last book you read but didn’t finish?
Change names (outcomes will vary but may include: Exa 3-06a, Exa 3-03a)
You can change the school’s naming system for Book Week Scotland! Use the names of literary characters as your names for houses, teams and rooms. For instance, your pupils could transform the school into Hogwarts for a week, making posters with the rules of Quidditch for the sports hall, painting pictures of pupils’ favourite selection from the moving paintings found in Hogwarts, and much more! Check this link for inspiration: http://oakton.patch.com/articles/viewfinder-senior-prank-turns-school-into-hogwarts#photo-5810368 You can also ask pupils for their ideas!
Set up a teachers’ reading group
A reading group can help readers of all levels of engagement to develop their reading. Again, the free Teachers as Readers ebook on the Scottish Book Trust website can help to provide ideas to get the most out of a reading group: http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/learning/CPD/toolkits/teachers-as-readers
Create booktrailers and display them around the school Lit 3-11a, Tch 3-03a, Tch 3-04a, Eng 3-19a, Eng 3-27a, Lit 3-24a