1.
5 Reasons why
Author-Illustrator
Visits are invaluable
for schools
And Some Suggestions to Make it Happen

2.
1. Encourages Reading for
Pleasure
In a Society of Authors survey – the
respondents indicated that they had
organised at least 1471 author visits.
99.4% of the respondents considered
author visits to be
“high priority and valuable in
encouraging reading for pleasure and
creative writing.”
0
50
100
Primary Secondary
94
60
# schools responded

3.
Why Reading for Pleasure is
Important
Reading
for
Pleasure
Enjoyment
and
attainment
Pleasure in
reading in
later life
Emotional
and social
consequences
Reading
assessment
scores
The Department of
Education “Research
Evidence on Reading for
Pleasure” 2012
Reading for pleasure is more
important for children's
cognitive development than
their parents' level of
education. (2013 research by
Dr Alice Sullivan and Matt
Brown from the Institute of
Education)

4.
Benefits of Reading for
Pleasure
Reading
attainment and
writing ability
Text
comprehension
and grammar
Breadth of
vocabulary
Positive
reading
attitudes
General Knowledge
Pleasure in reading in later life
Greater self-confidence as a reader
Better understanding of other cultures
Community participation
Greater insight into human nature and decision-making
Parents are the most important reading role models for children and young
people.
(National Literacy Trust, Reaching Out with Role Models, April 2009)

5.
Reading for Pleasure –
some ideas…
Candy Gourlay’s Ideas from the Reading
for Pleasure Facebook group, set up by Jon
Biddle, founder of Patron of Reading
• What I'm reading – signs on teacher’s
doors.
• Book Swap corners
• World Map of Books
• Audiobook listening corner
• "If you liked this book, you might
like these" shelves
• Mini-book making project. (Comics
too!)

6.
More ideas!
• Meet the author – parents and children
• Playlist of Book Trailers from YouTube
• Book quizzes – Do you know about CWIZZ?
• Vertical mentoring and reading support – a child
from a higher year group helping a younger one or
telling stories to younger classes
• Ask an author to be Patron of Reading

7.
Attitudes KS2: 2013
How often do you read outside class?
35%
31%
10%
6%
2%
11%
5%
46%
32%
8%
4%
1%
6%
3%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Every day or
almost every day
A few times a
week
About once a
week
A few times a
month
About once a
month
Rarely Never
KS2 boys KS2 girls

8.
Attitudes KS3: 2013
How often do you read outside class?
25%
27%
11%
8%
3%
17%
8%
32%
28%
12%
7%
3%
14%
5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Every day or almost
every day
A few times a week About once a week A few times a
month
About once a
month
Rarely Never
KS3 boys KS3 girls

9.
Attainment across key stages (2013)

10.
Children living in poverty are less likely to
be able to read well at school than their
classmates – and this has the potential to be
devastating for their future lives.
How reading can help children escape poverty,
Read On Get On campaign, 2014.

11.
2. 360 Degrees
An author visit can inspire teachers and children to engage
with the books more than just reading and writing
Most authors
make this easy by
providing
resources,
bringing things
to life and talking
about their
experiences
• Art with illustrators
• Writing and acting drama
• History
• Discussions on social & cultural
aspects
• Debates
• Talking about research, use of
evidence, and visiting locations

12.
- You must not be taken by surprise!
- If the Germans come. . . the order is ‘stay put’.
- If you keep your heads, you can tell whether a military
officer is really British or only pretending Excerpts
from Lydia
Syson’s talk
Mosley & the British Union of Fascists

13.
Sophia Bennett shares some of her
fashion inspiration for Threads

14.
3. Motivating Reluctant Readers
& Writers
One of the respondents in the SOA survey said, “Sometimes
an understanding of the inspiration behind a story will motivate
a previously reluctant reader pick up a book.”
Showing the research & the background material,
talking about the inspiration behind the book
would not only bring the book to life
but also inspire the children to read to find out more.
Many children would appreciate only when they see a
author in person that writing is a real career choice.

15.
Y4s engrossed in writing a new story
during Chitra Soundar’s author-visit.

16.
A Skype visit can inspire too.
Here is an assembly with Margaret Bateson-Hill . The school were
looking at her book Masha and the Firebird

17.
4. Increased Library Use
• Raising the profile of the
library
• Increased loans of a diversity
of titles
‘There are often
“new” faces seen in
the library after an
author event and
students appear
more confident to
request books by
that author.
‘Visits have sent
(library)
borrowing
through the roof’

18.
“You want weapons? We’re in a library! Books! Best weapons in the world! This room’s the greatest
arsenal we could have. Arm yourself!” ― The Doctor David Tennant

19.
5. Ofsted Has started noticing…
• 11% of respondents reported that Ofsted
inspectors (or equivalent body) had
entered a library during an inspection. Of
these, six respondents said that the
inspector verbally commented on the
school’s use of author visits.
• One respondent revealed that inspectors
had watched a session with an author and
had gone on to record the lesson as
‘outstanding’.
• SOA has been urging Ofsted to take notice
of author-events in their report.
Lyn Hopson, whose school,
Don Valley Academy, is
used as a Best Practice Case
study for literacy promotion
on the Ofsted website and in
Moving English Forward7,
cited its author visits as a
factor in its strong
reputation.
Another independent school
reported that its regular
scheduling of events had
been noted in the Good
Schools Guide 2012.
Schools whose visits had
been formally mentioned in
inspection reports tended to
have been inspected more
recently (2011-12), and in
September 2012 the Ofsted
inspection guidelines have
increased their focus on
schools as reading
environments.

20.
Children creating new stories at ShoutWest Creative Writing Festival
run by CWISL

21.
Author Jackie Marchant with
Dougal Trump…

22.
Sustaining the interest
A single visit may not be enough. So what are the options?
•Structured
support for
reading
•Premier League
Reading Stars
supported by
National Literacy
Trust
•Encouraging
reading for
shortlisting would
create huge interest
• All-round
engagement across
many year-groups
•You agree with
your chosen author
how it works
Patron of
Reading
Writer /
Illustrator in
Residence
Read On –
Get on;
Reading Stars
Regional
Book Awards

23.
What are some ways to get
funding for author visits
Pupil Premiums
Literacy Budgets
Combining author visits with nearby schools
Engaging with local authors and hence reducing the cost of transport etc
Working with a local author to create “Author in Residence” or “Patron of Reading” Programmes
Working with the publishers, PTA or local businesses to sponsor author visits
Collaborating with bookstores nearby to share the cost of author visits and allowing the bookstore to do book sales
during the event.

24.
Where can you find out
more?
• Society of Authors report on the benefits of Author Visits -
http://www.slideshare.net/SocietyofAuthors/the-childrens-writers-and-illustrators-
group-presentation-on-author-visits
• Premier League Reading assessments showing the
impact of reading for pleasure on general attainment
levels.
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/research/nlt_research/6400_premier_league_readin
g_stars_201314_evaluation_report
• Reading for Pleasure website -
http://www.readingforpleasure.org.uk/
• Government research on reading for pleasure.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/2
84286/reading_for_pleasure.pdf
• Report on Reading for Pleasure by National Union of
Teachers - https://www.teachers.org.uk/files/active/1/Reading-4-Pleasure-7225.pdf

25.
How to arrange author
visits – some help here…
• Book Trust guide to
arranging author visits -
http://www.booktrust.org.uk/programmes/
arranging-an-author-visit/
• How to arrange author
visits guide from SOA -
http://www.societyofauthors.org/sites/def
ault/files/Guidelines%20for%20schools%20o
rganising%20an%20author%20visit%20May
%202014.pdf
• Check out useful
websites like
http://www.societyofauthors.org &
contactanauthor.co.uk and
assess the kind of author
you want for your school
visit.
Author Jackie Marchant during a school visit.

26.
We are CWISL - how we can help…
• CWISL is an organisation of writers and illustrators based in London.
We are local to many boroughs and hence are available to do
longer programmes like Patron of Reading, Author/Illustrator in
Residence.
• We run an annual book-related quiz for schools in London – find out
more about our CWIZZ on 1st May 2015. Want to sign up for the next
one?
• We run two writing festivals in alternate years – ShoutSouth &
ShoutWest where writers help children from across London enjoy
creative writing and showcase their work. We still have a few places left for
this year’s ShoutSouth – want to send your school? Contact us.
• We also run an online magazine for children –
www.shoutaboutmagazine.com where children can see their
published work and get comments from published authors. Send
stories and pictures from your school too.
Find out more at www.cwisl.org.uk.

27.
CWISL at SLB Meet
• The following writers and illustrators of CWISL are
here today – come and ask us about what we do.
o Lydia Syson
o Margaret Bateson-Hill
o Sarah Mussi
o Chitra Soundar
o Jackie Marchant
o Sophia Bennett
o Amanda Lilywhite
o Sam Hepburn

28.
This is what it is all about… isn’t it?