Lucy Robinson, Readathon Manager at reading for pleasure charity Read for Good, shares Five Reasons Why schools should consider running a Readathon® sponsored read as part of their National Year of Reading plans.

‘As a former primary school teacher and mum of two children who have viewed reading as ‘homework’, I fully understand the challenges teachers and pupils face. This helps me to support schools running ReadathonⓇ. Readathon is a simple, flexible and highly effective sponsored read for teachers and school librarians to run in their schools. It was started in 1984 by former teacher and author, Brough Girling, and has been raising funds to support seriously ill children in hospital with brand new books and professional storytellers ever since.

In celebration of National Storytelling Week, I give you five great reasons to sign up to run Readathon.

1. Designed with busy teachers in mind

Readathon works ‘straight out of the box’ and can be led by any member of staff, at any time of the year. We supply everything you need – from sponsorship forms and letters to parents, to launch videos and resources to help you promote your Readathon and create a buzz around reading.

A Readathon works well for all ages and abilities because children are fully in control of exactly what, and how much, they read. This makes it an easy-to-implement, no-cost way for primay and secondary schools to get involved in this year’s National Year of Reading campaign and help reconnect more of our young people with the joy of reading.

2. Books for your school

We know how challenging school budgets are, particularly where new books are concerned. Taking part in Readathon means that your school receives free vouchers worth 20% of the total raised to spend at Scholastic Book Clubs to boost your library or reading area with a selection of new titles. Your school also receives two exclusive Read for Good National Book Tokens to reward pupils who have gone the extra mile or who have read more than they normally would. The majority of Readathon kits include some free books and Phoenix Comics to help you get things started, and the programme includes prize draws to win bundles/boxes of books.

When you  sign up, you can join our Books We Love book club to receive free books in return for feedback/reviews. You can also apply for a Brilliant Box of Books – a carefully curated collection of age-appropriate titles worth £500! From the latest award-winning fiction and non-fiction to bestselling graphic novels, our aim is to offer instant excitement, escapism and adventure.

3. Harness empathy in your school

Readathon harnesses the natural empathy of children to encourage every child – regardless of ability – to read, as the money they raise helps to buy books for children in hospital. The validation, agency and empowerment that helping others imbues in children and young people cannot be underestimated. Readathon recognises the power and potential of uniting a school community in a genuinely enjoyable challenge with a compelling cause. It recognises children as innately good, with natural empathy and a drive to help others. In a world where so much can feel overwhelming and out of their control, it is empowering for them to be able to help other children, by doing something simple and tangible.

4. Choice and agency for children

At the centre of Readathon – and Read for Good itself – is child agency and choice, essential ingredients for reading for fun. We as adults cannot know what spark will set an individual child on their reading for fun journey, and the freedom to choose what, when and how they read is absolutely critical. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a book, a comic, song lyrics, Lego instructions, a recipe or listening to a story – if we provide the right doors, they will find a way in. We have a wonderful note pinned up at Read for Good from a child who chose and loved Farmer’s Weekly. ALL reading counts in a Readathon.

5. Readathon works!

Since Readathon began, we’ve had countless reports from schools about how it motivates even the most reluctant of readers to pick up a book. The fact that many schools run it year on year tells us that it ‘does what it says on the tin’!

In 2018, we asked the National Literacy Trust to evaluate Readathon’s effectiveness as part of its annual literacy survey research conducted with 49,047 pupils – one of the biggest studies of its kind in the UK. Regardless of age, gender, or whether or not they received free school meals, pupils who had taken part in a Readathon enjoyed reading more, were more likely to read something in their free time daily, read a wider variety of materials in their free time and were more likely to use the school library or reading area. They also had higher life satisfaction scores – they were happier!

If you have any questions about running Readathon in your school, or would like to order your free Readathon kit, just drop us an email at [email protected]. We are always happy to talk things through.