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  • Teachers as Readers: Building Communities of Readers
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Teachers as Readers: Building Communities of Readers

Given the narrow scope of primary teachers’ knowledge and use of children’s literature identified in Phase I, the core goal of Teachers as Readers: Building Communities of Readers Phase II is to improve teachers’ knowledge and experience of such literature in order to help them increase children’s motivation and enthusiasm for reading, especially those less successful in literacy. 

The project, funded by the Esme*e Fairbairn Foundation and UKLA is facilitating and supporting five LA partnership projects which involve teachers working with others, such as parents, librarians and carers, to build new communities of readers, promote reading satisfaction; extend imaginative and emotional experiences of reading; enhance the social conditions which foster enthusiasm for reading; and offer opportunities for raised achievement in all aspects of school learning.  The models of professional development created in each LA will be documented, analysed and disseminated in order to influence local and national policy and practice.

This national development project aims to:

1. develop children’s pleasure in reading
2. extend teachers’ subject knowledge of children’s literature
3. extend teachers’ confidence and skilful use of such literature in the classroom
4. develop teachers’ relationships with parents, carers, librarians and families
5. develop Reading Teachers: teachers who read and readers who teach

Phase II involves approximately 50 teachers and 1500 children across the country The LAs involved are Birmingham, Barking and Dagenham, Kent, Suffolk and Medway.  Each of the LA projects is being designed and developed through partnership between the LA, library services and the UKLA core research team. The specific focus of the LA reading development work varies in response to ongoing authority initiatives, but all projects respond to Phase I findings and involve teacher action research. 

The research questions about which the UKLA team are seeking to collect documentation include:

1. How are LAs increasing teachers’ subject knowledge of children’s literature?
2. How are LAs/ schools developing partnerships with parents, families, the community and librarians?
3. How are teachers applying their increased subject knowledge in school?
4. How are teachers sharing their subject knowledge with school staff and beyond?
5. What are the effects of increased subject knowledge and new communities of readers on children as readers?
6. What are the key messages of this project for other LAs, schools and teachers?
7. Does being a Reading Teacher: a teacher who reads and a reader who teaches, make a difference and if so in what ways?

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