1. Reading for Pleasure in Schools
School of the Arts 200
Placements for English Literature
students

2. Partner: The Reader Organisation
Get into Reading: Distinctive shared reading
aloud model.
Groups meet weekly in homeless hostels, secure
units, GP surgeries, neurological centres, care
homes, libraries, book shops, arts centres.
Crosses age range: looked after children to older
people with dementia.

3. History
2008/09 Reading in the Community
(English Subject Centre funded, 16 students)
2009/10 Reading in Practice: Dissertation
new Level 3 module
2010/11 Reading for Pleasure in Schools
(Volunteer Scheme, KE voucher, 30 students)
2011/12 SoTA 200 experience module

4. Partner: Fazakerley High School
• Mixed comprehensive serving communities in
top 6% social deprivation, high unemployment
• Children claiming free school meals above
national average, attendance below
• Special education needs and/or disabilities
well above national average
• ‘Good’ school, standards improving, ‘low
literacy levels barrier to learning’ Ofsted 2009

5. Placement brief and aims
• Weekly, one to one, shared reading sessions with pupils.
• Not a literacy project (although improved literacy is often one of the
outcomes)
• Emphasis is on reading for pleasure
• You will read with the same young person for one hour each week
(about 12 sessions in total) so you will have the opportunity to build a
positive professional relationship with the young person, helping you to
find the right books and poems that will engage and inspire them.
Aims
• To promote the enjoyment of literature, encouraging young people to
see reading as a fun, beneficial, and life-enhancing activity.
• To build young people’s confidence and self-esteem through shared
reading.

6. Student Feedback from 2010/11
• The child benefited from the practice in reading
but also the social aspect and learning in a new
way. It taught me a lot about working with
children.
• I was surprised by the enthusiasm and
appreciation shown by the children and it is a
rewarding experience.
• I had an absolutely fantastic time on this project -
thank you for the opportunity.
• More things like this need to be organised!

7. Student feedback 2010/11
What was valuable in the experience was spending time
with someone you would probably never have met,
and building a strong friendship. I valued how open
people are when you are reading a text together, and
the feeling of sharing something together. I would
advise anyone who has a passion for reading and
would like to feel more involved with the Liverpool
community to take up this opportunity. I would also
suggest it to people who are interested to see what it is
like working with people from different sections of
society. The experience was both enjoyable and
rewarding but also a heavy responsibility which
prepares you for life after university.

8. SoTA 200 2011/12: Preparation and
Training, Placements
• Personal Statement (July 2011)
• CRB checks (Sept-Oct 2011)
• Training in Get Into Reading, Sam Shipman, Child,
Family, School Lead, The Reader Organisation, 3 x
3 hours Sept-Oct 2011
• School Induction (Oct. 2011)
• 7 students, hour-long, one to one sessions with
two children per semester (four children per
student over year)

9. School Experience
• “When she reads it goes in more, I liked it.”
• “It gives you a picture in your brain.”
• “I understood the story better, I could imagine it more.”
• “I read the Twits and I finished the book.”
• “Everyday she opens the book and it’s on the right page, how does
she remember? I was impressed!”
• “I feel more confident reading because you understand the book
more.”
• “It’s better when they are reading to me, because when you read
yourself you’re dead slow when you get stuck on the words. With
them, it’s faster.”
• “You feel more confident and you’ve got someone to talk to really,
because when you’re in class reading in your head you don’t really
get the story much, so it’s better with the students.”

10. School/Home Experience
• The university students have become a regular part of
school life at Fazakerley; this is a result of their
consistency and dedication to the pupils they read
with. They have, throughout the year, endeavoured to
provide continuity which has resulted in a hugely
positive response from pupils. The reading
improvements have been above average and pupil
feedback has all been positive.
• It would be a pleasure to run the reading project again
as the time that goes into selecting the book and
planning the reading sessions allows for one-to-one
intervention like no other in school.

11. School/Home Experience
‘We were really happy and grateful you selected my son for
one to one. It has really improved his confidence and he is
asking to read at home now too. Thank you’. (Parent)
‘She has always been a chatter box but reading was not
something she ever seemed confident with. She would
always pass the reading on after a sentence. However, now
she will read and volunteer, she encourages others to do
the same and I think that does help the class - when they all
seem keen to read, even though they may not be the best
at it. I think she has made a lot of progress over the last few
months. I’m pleased with her. Even her reading assessment
was higher than I thought it would be.’ (Teacher)

12. University Experience
• Mutually revivifying interchange of experience
e.g. Reading with Children and Families event
(April 2012)
‘Universities don’t do enough of this sort of
thing.’
• Different mode of teacher/student
relationship

13. Student Experience
• ‘Being part of The Reader Organisation has been
an incredible experience not only allowing me to
inspire the children to see reading as an
enjoyable activity but to embrace once again the
reasons why I fell in love with reading.’ (2012
student)
• Career/Employment
20% of current TRO employees graduates from
Liverpool School of English