Keep Children Reading
Keep Children Reading
Building a love of reading in primary schools
Designed by Ruth Miskin, Keep Children Reading helps teachers develop a love of storytime from Reception to Year 6 with diverse books and fabulous book corners.
In a nutshell
Why we keep children reading
As teachers, we love reading stories aloud. Stories that inspire children to read for themselves. Children who choose to read, do well in school and in life.
The more children read, the more they know. The more they know, the more they read.
We want children to feel: ‘I read well. I choose to read. I am a reader.’
Keep Children Reading supports Reading Leaders and teachers in building children’s love of reading throughout their time at primary school.
Training films and documents are on the Online Subscription – free for all Read Write Inc. Phonics schools who have a RMT Training Package.
The Reading Framework, DfE
How do we help build a love of reading?
Our eight short films and resources help schools:
- develop a love of storytime from Reception to Year 6
- get children to love and develop the habit of reading
- choose diverse story books for fabulous book corners
- prompt discussions about a school’s reading culture
- understand why book banding and rewarding children for reading don’t work.
Our Windows and Mirrors booklist
Windows and Mirrors is a list of suggested books for children aged four to seven that represents the diversity of our world.
Our list gives:
- windows into the lives of all children
- mirrors for children’s own lives.
We include books that help children establish their place in the world, books where all children – especially those from underrepresented groups – get to be the main protagonist in a story.
Windows and Mirrors is updated monthly.
Browse our webpage and view a printable list of the Windows and Mirrors booklist.
Windows and Mirrors is now interactive!
If you have the School Portal, you’ll enjoy discovering the best books using our interactive booklist – now with the power to search, filter and share.
Free for schools with an RMT Training Package
Online training films and resources for Keep Children Reading are only available for schools with the Phonics Package.
Our eight online training films are between five and 15 minutes long – perfect for staff meetings:
- Why children need to become readers
- Persuading children to read the right books
- Windows and Mirrors
- Storytime matters
- Live the story
- Understanding the impact of book branding on children’s love of reading
- Don’t ‘pay’ children to read
- Building the best book corners
Many schools choose to follow up the films with discussion and practice. Why not use the audits on Language Comprehension and Storytime in the Reading Framework too?