Hosting author visits can greatly enhance students’ engagement, promote wider reading and boost overall enthusiasm for books.

Meeting an author in person can also make books come alive for children and provide inspiration to explore new genres and topics.

Authors often include workshops or storytelling sessions which encourage children to think creatively and explore their imaginations.

Engaging parents and families in reading initiatives is a powerful way for schools to raise the status of reading in the whole community. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Open the school library to parents before or after school to create a community space that embraces reading for pleasure.
• Include families in reading challenges and competitions.
• Organise a community book swap in the school where families can bring in books they no longer need and exchange them for new ones.
• Share tips for parents on how to engage children in reading – asking questions, discussing characters and making predictions.
• Provide low-cost strategies to create mini-home libraries.
• Host book fairs where parents and carers can purchase books together.
• Encourage families to volunteer as reading buddies.

For more ideas, take a look at our guest blog where teacher and parent, Esther Brown shares her top tips to support reading at home.

Check out Esther's blog

School libraries, classroom book areas and communal displays play an important part in developing a school-wide reading culture. A good school library, for example, is key in generating excitement around books and facilitating a lifelong love of reading.

At BookSpace, we visit hundreds of primary schools each year that want to reinvigorate their library space. We often hear teachers say ‘it’s become a bit of a dumping ground’, ‘it’s a little unloved’ or ‘it’s just become a place to swap books’.

However, a well-designed school library with child-friendly shelving, eye-catching displays and comfortable seating can make all the difference.

We believe the school library should be an inviting space where there are plenty of opportunities for pupils to browse, talk about books, share their reading experiences and make recommendations to peers.

If your school doesn’t have a dedicated library space, then creating comfortable reading areas in classrooms with a small selection of high-quality books that can be rotated or refreshed regularly is vital. Pay special attention to displaying books face-out as this is proven to make choosing easier for young readers.

Need some inspiration? Check out our Reading Corner gallery to see how we’ve transformed classroom corners into inviting and cosy reading spaces for children.

Phase 1

Improving classroom libraries and reading corners to provide every child with access to books.

Phase 2

Creating a child-friendly nurture space with a teaching wall, book corner and areas for group work.

Phase 3

Designing a multi-purpose school library for teaching, intervention and independent reading.

“The redesigned areas have been a fantastic addition to the school. The areas not only look engaging and attractive to the children, but they are also robust and well-suited to the hustle and bustle of primary school day-to-day activity. All of the areas are now used every day and have provided spaces that meet the increasingly wide-ranging requirements we have. We are delighted with them.”

Hugh Heneghan, St Joan of Arc R.C. Primary School

If we want to inspire young readers, then we need to find out what they like to read and encourage them to make their own choices.

To cater to a wide range of interests and backgrounds, schools should curate a diverse and inclusive collection of reading materials. This includes books featuring characters from various ethnicities, backgrounds, and abilities. Such representation not only fosters inclusivity but also helps students relate to the stories they read.

If you want to review your book collection but don’t know where to start, you can download this simple auditing guide and checklist for free.