- National Literacy Trust

2012 REPORT
2
Premier League Reading Stars is delivered by the
National Literacy Trust, the only national charity
dedicated to raising literacy levels in the UK. We run
literacy projects in the poorest communities, campaign
to make literacy a national priority and support schools.
Partners and Funders
The main sponsor of the programme, the Premier League
also facilitates its delivery through club and player
engagement.
Arts Council England also funds the programme and
encourages the involvement of writers and artists,
providing young people with opportunities to interface
with the arts.
Other partners:
- Premier League Productions
- Sport Relief
- Browns Books for Students
- Match Attax
3
INTRODUCTION
Premier League Reading Stars harnesses the
motivational power of football to inspire young people
to read more and to improve their literacy skills. The
reading intervention programme targets children and
young people who are not yet fans of reading but who
are passionate about football.
Dramatic results for children
In 2012 we undertook an in-depth research study
into the impact of the programme. We found it had
a dramatic impact on the young people who had
previously struggled with literacy:
• Three out of four children made six months’ to
a year’s progress in reading during the 10 week
programme
“It’s like I’m addicted to reading...”
Reading Stars participant
• Six out of ten now read more in their own time
• Half of them joined their public library
• Three out of four said they now enjoy reading
more and were inspired to read by footballers
• Those who took part were 10 times more likely to
progress in reading than similar children who didn’t
take part
“The impact in class has
been amazing.”
Reading Stars teacher
3 OUT OF 4 CHILDREN MADE UP TO A
YEAR’S PROGRESS IN JUST 10 WEEKS
4
THE NEED
Every year one child in five leaves primary school
without the reading skills they need for secondary
school. Low literacy levels, particularly among boys, are
linked to low motivation to read. Our research shows
that footballers are influential to children and young
people, especially boys, and that their encouragement
can inspire them to read more. Premier League Reading
Stars is designed to change attitudes to reading, to
inspire children to read more and consequently improve
their literacy skills.
Our goals for the children and young
people we support
• Improve their attitudes to reading
• Increase their confidence as readers and their
perceptions of their own abilities
• Inspire them to read more
• Increase their social interactions around reading, for
example discussing reading with family and friends
• Increase their access to libraries and books
• Increase their confidence as writers and their
perceptions of their own abilities
• Improve their speaking and listening skills
HALF OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE JOINED
A LIBRARY BECAUSE OF THE PROGRAMME
5
CASE STUDY
THE YOUNG
PEOPLE WE HELP
In 2012 34,000 children took part in Premier League
Reading Stars in state primary and secondary schools,
public libraries, football clubs and in one Pupil Referral
Unit. We targeted schools not reaching the national
average in literacy and those with large numbers of
children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The schools selected pupils who would benefit the most
from the programme: young people who loved football
but were less keen, or less able, readers.
“I hated reading before”
Football fan Sajid becomes
a reading fan
Sajid, 11, was easily put off by the covers of books
and had trouble finding books he liked:
“My teacher picked me to do Premier League Reading
Stars because he knows I’m into football. I hated
reading before. I would just watch TV but football got
me into it. When we did the sessions we would first talk
about our books, read a bit of our book, do a quiz or a
game. I liked doing the activities and getting stickers - I
know quite a lot about football so it was easy for me.
My teacher read to us and I liked it and that made me
think ‘let me try reading’.”
Sajid now describes himself as more “talkative” in
class and “excited” about the prospect of reading
more in his own time. To his surprise, he has come to
enjoy reading about football. He says:
“My favourite book was Sol Campbell’s autobiography.
I also read more magazines about sport, as well as
newspapers.
“The programme has helped me with my lessons and
my reading tests.”
6
THE REACH IN 2012
Since 2003 over 44,000 young people and their parents
have taken part in the programme and its wider
activities have reached 800,000 young people in total. In
January 2012 we were able to expand the programme to
allow hundreds of schools and libraries to take part.
34,000
young people took part
The programme ran
in schools, libraries and
football clubs
FC
SCHOOL
L I B R A RY
= 1000
472 primary schools
32 authors went into schools
232 secondary schools
31 libraries
15 football clubs
1 Pupil Referral Unit
Author Dan
Freedman
7
T
PERCE
N
3
2
N
10
0
More than 18,000 online
literacy challenges were
completed
T
Many of the children were
from low-income families
PERCE
The children’s ethnicity
The young people were
aged 7 – 15 years
75%
were boys
25%
65.7%
were girls
13%
10.9
9%
White
Mixed race
Asian
Black
Other
*Statistics based on the 2,170 young people who took part in our evaluation
8
THE IMPACT
We evaluated the programme by asking the young
people and teachers to complete a questionnaire before
and after taking part. In addition, some schools provided
data on the reading levels of the children. We also ran
focus groups and spoke to individual young people.
CASE STUDY
We had a dramatic impact on children’s
reading skills
The programme typically ran over 10 weeks. During
this time 56% of the pupils made half a year’s progress
in reading and 17% made a year’s progress. This is a
significant achievement for young people whose reading
skills were not improving.
“I read so many books as part of the programme
I went up one reading level.”
Reading Stars participant
“We have a boy who is a great footballer and became
so fired up with reading, his reading score went up at
the rate expected over an 18 month period.”
Reading Stars teacher
We also compared children who took part with a
similar group of children who did not. 10 times as
many participating children made progress in reading.
We helped children enjoy reading
76% said they now enjoy reading more. As National
Literacy Trust research shows enjoyment of reading is
linked to children’s attainment, this is very significant.
Boys in particular were more likely to enjoy reading after
taking part.
“For them it made reading cool when before
it was boring.”
Reading Stars teacher
“I want to achieve stuff”
Now Max wants to “go somewhere”
Max, 14, attends a Pupil Referral Unit in Hereford.
His difficulties at school meant Max had a lack of
confidence in reading and didn’t enjoy it at all. He is
a keen footballer so his teacher selected him to take
part in Premier League Reading Stars with the hope
that using a topic he was interested in would draw
him into books. The class challenges inspired Max to
read more; being rewarded with Premier League prizes
such as stickers meant that he felt he was achieving
something tangible and could see his progress.
Discovering there were books about football was
“completely surprising” and encouraged Max to read
more and consequently improve his reading skills. He
says:
“I used to be a really confident reader, and then, when
I stopped reading, I stuttered a lot when I was reading.
I didn’t like reading out loud before, but taking part
in Premier League Reading Stars has boosted my
confidence. A lot. It has helped me feel better about
myself as a learner, because obviously I’m at the Pupil
Referral Unit for a reason. At my other school I couldn’t
be bothered to learn or do anything. And now, I’ve
come here I’m ready to learn; I want go somewhere. I
want to achieve stuff and I want to play football!”
9
We increased children’s confidence
as readers
60% said they now feel they are better at reading.
“It has changed my life because I can now read
any difficult book that is given to me. I can now
read complicated words.”
Reading Stars participant
We inspired children to read more
57% said they now read more in their own time. Over
the course of the programme 68% read five or more
books and 26% read over 10 books. 53% of young
people who took the online challenges felt that they
made them read more.
Theo Walcott
Arsenal
“One of the boys in my class avoided reading
and writing whenever possible. But he loved the
programme and was the first one to complete all
of the reading challenges.”
Reading Stars teacher
The footballers inspired children to read
74% said that they would read more now that they
know that footballers read.
“It changed my attitude to reading because I never
knew that famous footballers read books and you
look up to them.”
Reading Stars participant
“Footballers like reading too! So why couldn’t
I join in?!?”
Reading Stars participant
David Fox
Norwich City
10
We introduced children to books,
newspapers, websites and comics
CASE STUDY
Young people were introduced to a wide range of texts.
As a result, they now read a greater variety of materials
outside class and a wider range of fiction.
“Library issue statistics show they are borrowing
more books and trying new authors and genres.”
Reading Stars librarian
Children learnt how to choose books
70% said they now feel better equipped to choose
books they will enjoy that are at the right level.
“It’s made a big
impression on him”
Conagh has gone crazy for reading
Carlo Nash
Stoke City
Conagh, 8, from Wakefield was struggling at school
and his reading skills were worsening. His dad, Barry,
and his mum, had been concerned before his teacher
suggested he take part in Premier League Reading
Stars. Barry explains:
“He had a problem. I would get called into school twice
a week because he refused to do his work. His teacher
suggested he might be interested in the programme
because he loves football. He’s absolutely loved it;
it’s kicked him off again. He’s started writing stories
at home, he’s reading football books; it’s made a big
impression on him.
“We’re now doing a lot of reading together and it has
also given us a chance to go and join our local library
which we didn’t even know was there. We went as a
group with school first but now he goes down every
two weeks and gets himself a new book. He’s reading
to his brothers as well, and they’re looking up to him,
so it’s giving him a bit of confidence and a place in the
family.
“The programme has benefited him a lot. I think if it
had been linked to anything else there wouldn’t have
been an interest, but because he were seeing his heroes
on telly, that made a big difference to him.”
11
We increased children’s library use
The programme provided an opportunity to visit a public
library and encouraged library use. 49% joined a public
library as a result of the programme and 35% of those
who were already members now use their public library
more often and 41% of those who were already school
library members now use their school library more often.
“The children now seem to have more respect
for the resources and the library space, as they
are familiar with it and think of it as ‘theirs’.”
Reading Stars teacher
We improved children’s speaking
and listening skills
65% said they now feel more confident working in
a team and 57% now feel more confident joining in
group discussions and asking questions when they don’t
understand.
The children became ambassadors
for reading
48% of the young people encouraged others to read.
76% now talk about reading more, or as often, with
their family and 70% talk about reading more, or as
often, with their friends. The programme also had a
range of positive social impacts on the participants.
We supported children’s writing
70% said they now enjoy writing more and are more
confident writers.
“Our children really valued the reading journals.
They were eager to share their thoughts with others
by writing in them.”
“One of the boys found it difficult to make friends.
Since attending the programme he has made
friends with his ‘team mates’ and is now getting
into trouble less.”
Reading Stars teacher
Reading Stars teacher
“Many of the boys were generally badly behaved
but they treated the sessions with the discipline
they would a football match. They also gained more
respect for the staff involved with the programme.”
Reading Stars teacher
Chris Smalling
Manchester United
12
THE PROGRAMME
How it works
Premier League Reading Stars is a game of two halves:
online challenges set by players and a 10 week reading
intervention programme supported by a resource
pack. At the heart of the programme are players’
recommendations for good reads. Each club selects
its own Reading Star to talk about their favourite
children’s and adults’ books.
Theo
Walcott
TJ and the Hat-trick by
Theo Walcott
Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone by
JK
Rowling
Ryan
Nelsen
Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck! by
Kyle Mewburn
The Marks of Cain by Tom
Know
Mark
Schwarzer
Megs and the Vootball
Kids by Neil MontagnanaWallace and Mark
Schwarzer
Destined to live by Sabina
Wolanski
Stuart
Holden
The Twits by Roald Dahl
The Alchemist by Paulo
Coelho
Charlie
Adam
Josh
McEachran
ger
Mr Messy by Ro
Hargreaves
ego
El Diego by Di
a
on
ad
Mar
Owen
Hargreaves
Quack Quack! (Ladybird)
The Cat in the Hat by Dr
Seuss
ion
May I Have Your Attent
den
Cor
es
Jam
by
?
ase
Ple
The Alchemist by Paulo
Coelho
Barry
Bannan
e Chocolate
Charlie and th
ald Dahl
Ro
by
Factory
vid Beckham
My Side by Da
Tim
Cahill
The BFG by Roald Dahl
The Smell of Football by
Mick Rathbone
Chris
Smalling
Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone by JK
Rowling
The Da Vinci Code by Dan
Brown
13
Mike
Williamson
Meg and Mog by Helen
Nicoll
Bob Wilson’s Ultimate
Collection of Sporting Lingo
by Bob Wilson
John
O’Shea
Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald
Dahl
The Runaway Jury by John
Grisham
Chris
Kirkland
Joey
Barton
David
Fox
The Witches by Roald
The Gruffalo’s Child by
l
Julia Donaldson and Axe
Scheffler
Operation Mincemeat
Ben Macintyre
Dahl
Dracula by Bram Stoker
by
Leon
Britton
James and the Giant Peach
by Roald Dahl
An Idiot Abroad: The Travel
Diaries of Karl Pilkington by
Karl Pilkington, Ricky Gervais
and Stephen Merchant
Stephen
Ward
Splat the Cat by Rob
Scotton
The Gruffalo by Julia
Donaldson and Axel
Scheffler
Thinking Outside the Box
by Brad Friedel
Digital Fortress by Dan
Brown
Carlo
Nash
Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory by Roald Dahl
Family Adventures in Style
by
Dr Jill Nash and Carlo Nash
Niko
Kranjcar
Harry Potter and the
Philosopher’s Stone by JK
Rowling
To Kill a Mockingbird by
Harper Lee
Paul
Scharner
The Gruffalo’s Child /
The Gruffalo by Julia
Donaldson and Axel
Scheffler
The Count of Monte Cris
to
by Alexandre Dumas
3 OUT OF 4 CHILDREN
READ MORE NOW
R
THEY KNOW THAT
T
FOOTBALLERS READ
F
14
THE FIRST HALF:
PLAYERS SET READING
CHALLENGES
The 20 Reading Stars, one from each Premier
League club, were filmed setting five literacy challenges,
which formed the 100 multiple-choice quizzes on
www.premierleaguereadingstars.org.uk. These challenged
young people, anywhere in the world, to watch their football
heroes reading and to answer the questions and win rewards.
Any child that completed all of a player’s challenges was
entered into a competition to win exclusive signed player
memorabilia, ranging from shirts and boots to photographs.
“It’s quite inspiring to have one of your
favourite players read a little bit of a book to you
instead of some person you don’t know.”
Joey Barton
Queens Park Rangers
Reading Stars participant
Mike Williamson
and Reading Star
18,000 CHALLENGES WERE COMPLETED
BY CHILDREN FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
15
THE SECOND HALF:
THE READING
INTERVENTION
The schools selected for the programme were those with
low levels of literacy and high numbers of pupils eligible
for free school meals. Pupils who were less keen or less
able readers were chosen to take part.
Teachers, librarians and coaches were given a programme
guide, and training by well-known children’s authors, to
deliver 10 football-themed literacy sessions. Over the
10 weeks, the children were introduced to new authors
and types of reading materials from football fiction to
matchday programmes.
Author
Tom Palmer
“It is a fabulous project for using football as a ‘hook’
to get otherwise disengaged boys into the library. It
gets them to see that reading can be fun and about
subjects they are interested in. I loved the idea of the
games and we had some hilarious penalty shootouts.”
Reading Stars librarian
34,000 YOUNG PEOPLE TOOK PART
IN THE READING INTERVENTION
16
THE PROGRAMME PACK
The young people were motivated by exclusive
Premier League branded materials including
certificates, badges, pens, bookmarks, reading
journals and even a pack of player trump-style
cards. Participants competed to do the most
reading challenges to win stickers for a special
goal wall chart.
“The boys were delighted with their pen, badge
and football cards, it really helped to make them
feel special and that the sessions were a reward
not a punishment!”
Reading Stars teacher
“I like the badges because they show
you what you represent.”
“Awesome”
17
“I loved the certificates; my Dad’s really proud.”
18
IN
Premier League Reading Stars attracts significant
media attention, helping us to reach more people
and change their perceptions of reading. This year
media coverage appeared in national and regional
newspapers, in football magazines, on official club
websites and on TV and radio. The coverage reached
an audience of over 15 million people and would
have cost £300,000 for the equivalent advertising
space.
The Sun
The Telegraph
Walcott joins forces
with HRH The Duchess
of Cornwall
The 2012 programme was launched at Arsenal FC’s
Emirates stadium by the National Literacy Trust’s
Patron, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall;
Nick Gibb, schools’ minister; and Arsenal FC striker Theo
Walcott.
Players from each
top-flight club inspire
the nation to read
Kensington and Chelsea
Chronicle
Queens Park Rangers
footballer tackles kids’
reading initiative
Evening Standard
Shropshire Star
Footballers share a love
of reading
Walcott on the importance
of reading
19
THE MEDIA
london tonight
Foo
Football
author Tom
Palmer entertains
children at the
Emirates Stadium
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