We are celebrating World Book Day 2021 with a range of fun activities to inspire reading at all ages.
All pupils will receive a £1 digital book token to swap for a new and exclusive World Book Day book, while at Junior age group, the ‘recreate a book cover’ art competition is open for pupils to draw, paint, photograph, sculpt or even bake a replica of their favourite book cover, as well as book quizzes for all years.
Paula Copeman, Senior Librarian at Claires Court, said: “We love celebrating World Book Day and encouraging all our pupils, staff and families to enjoy the benefits of a good book. Last year we had a community book scavenger hunt to share our love of reading but due to the lockdown we’re organising activities that can be done at home to highlight the joys of reading and get pupils’ imaginations fired up to become avid readers. The event may be virtual, but the fun is real.
Junior year pupils will be challenged with unveiling the ‘masked reader’ and taking on the Million Minutes Reading Challenge. Special activities on World Book Day and throughout the week will also include online author visits from Zehra Hicks for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, Andy Seed for Years 3 and 4, MG Leonard for Years 5 and 6, and there will be class discussions about favourite books, characters, and reading recommendations.
At the Senior age group, students will have access to a brand new online library website created just for them. There is a specially curated collection of resources just for the 12+ age group, including online author events, readings, writing workshops, podcasts, competitions, quizzes and book recommendations including ‘power reads’ and the top 25 books for teens. There is also a new range of e-books and audiobooks for pupils to access wherever and whenever they celebrate the big day.
Mrs Copeman added: “Reading can help you relax, improve mood, increase vocabulary, develop and stretch the imagination, and is simply a lovely pastime, particularly in a world of technology.”
Did you know? *
- Reading for pleasure is more important for children's cognitive development than their parents' level of education and is a more powerful factor in life achievement than socio-economic background
- 16-year-olds who choose to read books for pleasure outside of school are more likely to secure managerial or professional jobs in later life
- Having books in the home is associated with both reading enjoyment and confidence. Of children who report having fewer than 10 books in their homes, 42% say they do not like reading and only 32% say they are 'very confident' readers. For children who report having over 200 books at home, only 12% say they do not like reading and 73% consider themselves 'very confident' reader
- Children who read books often at age 10 and more than once a week at age 16 gain higher results in maths, vocabulary and spelling tests at age 16 than those who read less regularly
- 19% of readers say that reading stops them from feeling lonely
- Participation in shared reading groups is linked to enhanced relaxation, calmness, concentration, quality of life, confidence and self-esteem, as well as feelings of shared community and common purpose
- Higher literacy skills are associated with a range of positive societal benefits, including having a stronger sense of belonging to society and being more likely to trust others
- Studies have found that reading for pleasure enhances empathy, understanding of the self, and the ability to understand one's own and others' identities. For example, reading Harry Potter has been shown to improve children's attitudes toward stigmatized groups such as immigrants, refugees, and members of the LGBT community
- An online poll of over four thousand people from a representative sample in the UK revealed that regular readers for pleasure reported fewer feelings of stress and depression than non-readers, and stronger feelings of relaxation from reading than from watching television or engaging with technology intensive activities
- Studies have shown that those who read for pleasure have higher levels of self-esteem and a greater ability to cope with difficult situations. Reading for pleasure was also associated with better sleeping patterns
- Adults who read for just 30 minutes a week are 20% more likely to report greater life satisfaction.
* Source www.readingagency.org.uk
For more information or to book an open event visit www.clairescourt.com/events or email [email protected]
