Read On get On

Date: 
Friday, 15 December, 2017

Read On Get On Coalition launches first robust measure of children’s reading at age 11, as commercial data is published for the first time.

Response by The Society of Chief Librarians and the Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians

The Society of Chief Librarians  (SCL) and The Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians (ASCEL) welcome this new  annual measure from the Read On Get On (ROGO) coalition which has created a more holistic view of how well the nation’s children are reading . We are delighted that all three elements of reading   - cognitive reading skills, affective processes and reading behaviours -have been incorporated into this model.

Public Libraries provide powerful support for children’s reading and we can make a significant contribution to affective processes (including high levels of reading enjoyment, motivation and positive reading attitudes). High levels of participation in the  annual Summer Reading Challenge and engagement in a wide range of reading activities in libraries demonstrate that when children have free choice about what they read, easy access to  the wide range of  books that only a library can offer, supportive adults to help children find the book that is right for them and fun activities promoting books, they are more likely to be motivated to read and to enjoy the reading experience.  

The new model also highlights the importance of reading daily outside of the school environment. Public libraries actively support parents and children to read together every day and encourage parents and children to develop the reading habit early by promoting book sharing through rhyme times and story times in the early years.

SCL and ASCEL believe that an improved understanding of how the three elements interact will enable all agencies supporting children’s reading to coalesce around shared improvement strategies. We are looking forward to working within the ROGO coalition and continuing to develop and deliver great reading activities to inspire children to become lifelong readers.

ResdOnGetOn

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