Building our knowledge of children s literature v2

Let’s Talk Books...
Building our
knowledge of quality
children’s literature....
Why?
How?


Let’s talk books...
• How did you choose your 3
favourites?
• Why is each special to you?
• Who do you remember talking
about and sharing books with as
a child?

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Where are we now?
A few questions to ponder:
• Who was the last person to share a
children’s
book recommendation with you?
•
When did you last share a children’s title
which
was new to you?
•
How would you rate your knowledge of
Children’s literature?

Fiction? Non fiction? Poetry ?

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Why create a community of
readers among staff?

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Respo
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Teachers as Readers
“..being a reader frames us as reading teachers
and supports us as we seek to apprentice younger
readers, model our own love of reading and create
communities of readers within and beyond school.”
Reading Teachers/Teaching Readers.
Why teachers who read make good teachers of reading. Cremin. T, UKLA 2011

Surely it is this passionate adventure with
language we want for all our children before all
else. We therefore help them explore literature as
its own story, and the story of literature is
discovered in the story of our own and others’
reading of it.
Tell Me. Children , Reading & Talk. Chambers. A

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Teachers as Readers - what the

research says...
Here’s the bad news…
• UKLA’s Phase 1 (2008) survey of 1200 teachers showed that only 6.5 % had
recently read any children’s fiction
• Their knowledge of children’s literature reflected a considerable cause for
concern
• The indications are that teachers relied heavily on well known, ‘celebrity’
authors and lacked the knowledge of a significantly diverse range of texts to
encourage reading development and make informed recommendations. (UKLA,
2008)
• Evidence shows that few young people perceive that their teachers help them
choose books. (Maynard et al 2007)

How do we compare as a staff?
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The good news...
“An enhanced awareness and deep
pleasure in reading can, this UKLA study
suggests, nurture young readers who, like
their teachers, are engaged, self motivated
and socially interactive readers. Whatever
phase we teach - the choice is ours.”

Cremin,T. (2011)

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So, what are the barriers?

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What are inspectors looking for?
“One of the key aspects of effective
reading in primary schools is the
determination of staff to promote a culture
which encourages pupils to enjoy reading,
share their views on what they have read
and develop the ability to compare texts
and express opinions about them.”

Reading, writing and communication. Ofsted Guidance, Oct 2011

So, if time is an issue...
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“Although schools especially primary schools,
devoted a considerable amount of time to
reading, few had a coherent and consistently
articulated policy.”
Reading ,writing and communication. Ofsted Guidance, Oct 2011

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What can we do to help us develop our
knowledge and passion for children’s
literature?

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Key issues to consider:
• Book selection - what is the current quality of our
book stock in school (narrative, picture books,
non-fiction, poetry)?
• Do we have a secret bookworm amongst us? Our
own Richard & Judy in our school family (teacher, TA,
governor, parent, grandparent, administrator)? If yes,
how do we use that person effectively to help us
develop as a community of readers?
• Time - often the biggest barrier. This needs to be
written into our approach to reading across the whole
school to enable staff development.
• Resources - where do we go for up to date
knowledge and recommendations?
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We are the linchpin...enabling great Booktalk
SELECTION
(Bookstock, availability,

accessibility, presentation)

READING
(Time to read

ENABLING
ADULT

RESPONSE
“I want to enjoy it again”

Hearing it done

Formal Talk

Doing it for yourself)

Book Gossip

Taken from: Tell Me. Children, Reading & Talk Chambers, A

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Where to start...
• Share your personal preferences
• ‘Core’ texts?
• Quality of language
• Books to make you laugh, make you cry...

• Books for specific themes and purposes

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Teachers as readers...
quality is key
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•
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•

www.booktrustchildrensbooks.org.uk
www.clpe.co.uk – The Core Book List
www.lovereading4kids.co.uk
www.booksforkeeps.co.uk
Choosing and Using Fiction & Non Fiction in
the classroom 3-11. Margaret Mallett (Fulton)
• Teach Primary / Teach Secondary magazines
• National Literacy Trust book lists
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Teachers as readers...
quality is key
Keep your eyes on the latest book awards:
• Blue Peter Book Awards

• CILIP Carnegie Medal
• CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal
• English 4-11 Book awards
• Guardian Children's Fiction Prize
• Nottingham Children's Book Award
• Red House Children's Book Award
• Waterstone's Children's Book Prize

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Teachers as readers...
quality is key
• Bookmark the best children’s book blogs.
• Here’s a great list for starters…visit the Federation
of Children’s Book Groups who have an excellent
selection at www.fcbg.org.uk/book-blogs
• Don’t forget to share any you find...or start your own
school blog!

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What about your own staff book
group?
• Explore your own literacy.
• Share quality literature with colleagues.
• Model lifelong reading for pleasure.

• Gain experience and confidence with book discussion.
• Reflect upon and learn from personal experience with books.
• Enhance teaching and learning.
Why not choose a mixture of adult and young people’s
literature?
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Here are a few enticing titles to start
you off....
• The Child that Books Built. Francis
Spufford - beware, you may cry...

• STOP What You Are Doing And Read
This - a collection of 10 essays from leading
authors, from Zadie Smith to Mark Haddon, on
why to bother with reading.

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Don’t forget...
• A problem shared…take a collaborative approach, use
each other’s strengths
• Have a central storage space (blog, web page, server
area) to help build collections, recommendations and
lists
• If we are convinced this is a priority we must create time,

backed up by permission/policy/release time for our
bookworms to help us develop knowledge and quality...
• Our environment should reflect our passion on doors,
email signatures, displays: “Mrs Clark is reading......”

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So...
…action stations!

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National Literacy Trust
• One in six people in the UK struggle to read, write
and communicate
• We believe that society will only be fair when
everyone can communicate as well as they need
• We deliver projects, campaign, investigate and
innovate, share knowledge and work in partnership
to transform lives through literacy
• We are an independent charity
www.literacytrust.org.uk

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