Premier League Reading Stars:
A READING DEVELOPMENT PROJECT AIMED AT ADULTS & CHILDREN
Bolton's Reading Champion - Kevin Nolan. Kevin scored eight goals in the Barclaycard Premiership last season to help Bolton Wanderers maintain their top-flight status. He made his first-team debut at just 17 years of age. Kevin's nominated book is Matilda by Roald Dahl.
A Bolton Wanderers and Bolton Libraries - two teams working together to develop reading in Bolton.The Premier League Reading Stars is a national reading initiative aimed at using the power of football to encourage children and adults to read. Premier League Reading Stars involves all 20 Premiership Clubs and is a pilot initiative that aims to promote the use of local libraries, as well as bringing free books into the homes of children across the UK. Reading Champions from each team have nominated adult and children's books for a specially created Reading Stars booklist. These Top Premier League Reads go into a box and are used by family reading clubs based at local library locations. There are ten children's books and ten adult books.
Each Premier League Club adopts a local library, with children and adults meeting regularly to discuss and review the books they have read. As part of a partnership with the National Literacy Trust each child taking part will be able to select up to three books to take home and keep. Funding is provided for books, training, publicity, and staff cover for every session.
So this has meant an exciting link for Bolton Libraries with the 'one and only Bolton Wanderers.'
GOALS
- The project is aimed at those hard to reach groups who are not as likely to be interested in reading but are interested in football.
- Creating new readers, excited by the attraction of football, who will discover a love of reading because of exposure to books recommended by their heroes.
- Aimed at 8-10 year olds, and a parent/ carer/ relative. Based on Dads and Lads reading groups but not gender exclusive.
KICK OFF
Reading stars was launched nationally at Sunderland in March. A northern training day was held at Leeds United attended by a library and Club representative from each team.
Bolton launches its Reading Stars on the evening of May 8th, just as the season ends, and sessions will take place on one Saturday each month for three Saturdays.
VENUE
We chose Halliwell Library as Bolton's venue for the project.
Halliwell was opened in 2000, replacing a Carnegie Library opened in 1910. It is a dual use library in a new primary school, with separate access, where issues have risen by 30%. The school has already been involved in a Dads and Lads project and close by is another primary school. It was felt that the schools would be a great help and partners in the project. The schools have been asked to nominate 8 children each who will attend the sessions with an adult. This does not necessarily have to be a member of the family, but can be a family friend, carer or relative such as an elder brother or sister.
READING SESSIONS
On launch night the project will be explained, all the books in the lists promoted, and books borrowed, so that they can be discussed at the first Saturday session. A number of football related reading and quiz activities are planned and Wanderers mascot, Lofty, and a player will be present. Certificates will be presented for reading five and ten books, and members will encouraged to write reviews of the books. Tom Palmer, football author, will be taking one of the sessions, using football as the theme for reading and writing exercises.
FREE KICKS
The FA Premier League has provided a Reading Stars boot bag for each participant containing the rules of the game, fixture (reading) list, and various other goodies. Bolton Wanderers will also be providing prizes and incentives to make the project even more attractive.
EXTRA TIME
Each child attending will be included in the Reading is Fundamental, UK (RIF) project. www.rif.org.uk. This means children can keep three free quality books of their choice. The project will also lead the children into our own library Reading Game. The plan in 2003 is to roll the project out to more libraries, so that even more families can enjoy books, reading, and football together.
COME ON BOLTON
Of course if the unthinkable happens and Bolton are relegated then we would not be able to take part next season. I am sure this has given Wanderers extra incentive and determination, and has also made the race for the play off places from the First Division very exciting, as clubs battle for the right to be part of this exciting project. Reading are in the play offs and I feel sure that it is written in the Premier League Reading Stars that they will win through and take part next year. Who will Reading's Reading Champion be? And if Bolton are in Division one next year the idea and structure of the project could be modified and would only need a modest budget to recreate it.
Further information about the project, including the full list of reading champions and their recommended reads, can be found at:
Contact:e-mail: kath.morgan@bolton.gov.uk
