Additional Support

There are a number of organisations and charities who work in the arena of information literacy and reading for pleasure. The SLA enjoys strong partnerships with the organisations below, and they offer some fantastic resources and support.

If you go into a school that has a brilliant librarian, you really notice the difference. Books become central to the school.

Charlie Higson speaking to Anita Singh

The visibility and availability of books and other reading materials are key components of a reading culture at home, in schools and throughout society. Children growing up in homes with more books develop better reading skills, no matter what their social background. Schools should provide a wide range of reading materials that attracts boys and girls of all ages and interests. School and public libraries can play a significant role in helping and inspiring pupils to find reading material that they can relate to.

Final report of the EU High Level Group of experts on Literacy, EU High Level Group of Experts on Literacy

Books should be visible, available and used not only at home, but in society at large. In an age where small bookshops are disappearing from the urban landscape due to competition from online retailers, we need to find new, creative ways of keeping books in community life. More than ever, libraries have a key role in making books and stories available to everyone, while also making reading more visible.

Final report of the EU High Level Group of experts on Literacy, EU High Level Group of Experts on Literacy

I realise I’m talking to converts here, but I have to tell you that the difference a qualified librarian makes to a primary school is simply transformational

David Tilling, Head Teacher of Peasedown St John Primary School, Bath, at the SLYA/SLA LDA Awards Event

Visiting a good library should be like going to eat in a great restaurant. You can have whatever you want - even if you don't like it when you try it - and the librarian is like the chef, telling you what's good on the menu. Without a central library, even the best schools run the risk of providing a somewhat bland and impoverished reading diet

Fiona Evans, Education Consultant at the Reading Agency, Teach Reading and Writing

The school library was both my refuge and my inspiration. I think it's very dangerous for someone like me to try and tell teachers what to do in order to improve reading and writing; it's arrogance to assume that simply because you have sold lots of books , you know it all. However, if I am asked what schools need in order to facilitate literacy, I can answer without hesitation: a well-stocked library and a full-time, trained librarian with the necessary resources and funds to ensure that library flourishes. The library should be the battery at the heart of every school. Everything begins there - communication, confidence, the acquisition of cultural references and the exploration of our hinterland. It's where you start to develop empathy and an understanding of the human condition - who you are, where you are, and how you got there

Anthony Horowitz, Author, Teach Reading and Writing

School Library Services

School Library Services (SLS) are library services offered to schools - all phases and sectors - by local authorities. The way each service operates varies around the country. SLSs are run by experienced, qualified librarians who have knowledge of the curriculum and of children's literature. They offer schools incredible value for money:

Advising schools and providing training on managing and developing schools’ own libraries and teaching resources in schools, on teaching information literacy skills to enable children to become independent learners and in helping schools create a reading culture.
Loaning or making available for purchase carefully chosen resources to support teaching and learning in the classroom and to support wider reading for pleasure and enjoyment.
Accessing such programmes as Pergamon Mu LMS, the School Library Award and the UK Reading Road Map.All of which complements the national SLA.

Even if your own authority SLS no longer exists, a neighbouring SLS may offer you some if not all services.

For further links to SLSs: School Library Services

SLS-UK

The Reading Agency

At The Reading Agency we work every day towards a world where everyone is reading their way to a better life.

We mean everyone - from toddlers to children to young adults, prisoners and older people - irrespective of age or economic background. We believe that reading can tackle life's big challenges, from social mobility to mental health - and we're determined that no one is left behind as we strive towards realising our vision.

Meet the people who help make it happen

The SLA Team

The National Literacy Trust

The NLT are an independent charity dedicated to giving disadvantaged children the literacy skills they need to succeed. They work to improve the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills in the UK's poorest communities, where one in three people have literacy problems. Because low literacy is intergenerational, they focus their work on families, young people and children.

Go to the National Literacy Trust website.

BookTrust

BookTrust get children reading in lots of different ways, but our priority is to get more children excited about books, rhymes and stories – because if reading is fun, children will want to do it. We run nationwide programmes – like our flagship programme Bookstart. We reach millions of families across the country each year with books, resources and advice to encourage parents and carers to start reading with their babies right from the beginning.

BookTrust are also responsible for running the Children's Laureate, which has now been running for over 10 years. The current Children's Laureate is Cressida Cowell.

Go to BookTrust website.

Empathy Lab

EmpathyLab is the first organisation to build children's empathy, literacy and social activism through a systematic use of high quality literature. Their strategy builds on new scientific evidence showing the power of reading to build real-life empathy skills. They believe that empathy is a beacon of hope in a divided world.

Empathy Lab run Empathy Day, release empathy booklists, highlight research, and run training.

Go to the Empathy Lab website.

Authorfy

They create exciting and original videos in which children’s authors share their unique approach to writing and pass on their love for literacy (and it's all FREE!). Each author masterclass comes complete with a series of videos and a cross-curricular scheme of work, plus extract downloads, chapter readings and more.

Authorfy also provide an event database to help arrange author events, free 'Author of the Month' display resources, and 'Authorfy Clubs' - termly boxes of resources that get sent straight to your door so you can run your own creative writing club and even raise money for your school in the process!

Go to the Authorfy website.

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World Book Day

World Book Day is a registered charity on a mission to give every child and young person a book of their own. It’s also a celebration of authors, illustrators, books and (most importantly) it’s a celebration of reading. In fact, it’s the biggest celebration of its kind, designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world.

Go to the World Book Day website.

CILIP; ILG, SLG and YLG

CILIP is the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, the UK’s library and information association. They work to improve services, develop members’ expertise and champion the sector. We are the only independent voice for the UK’s information profession. We are guided by our Royal Charter to develop and improve library and information services, and by being a charity to act in the public good.

ILG - The Information Literacy Group (ILG) encourages debate and the exchange of knowledge in all aspects of information literacy. They support the Teen Tech Awards and publish the Journal of Information Literacy (JIL).

SLG - The School Libraries Group (SLG). The SLG is committed to enabling its members to achieve and maintain the highest professional standards, and encouraging and supporting them in the delivery and promotion of high quality library and information services responsive to the needs of users.

YLG - The Youth Libraries Group (YLG). YLG promotes excellence in children and young people's literature by organising, judging and publicising the most prestigious children's book award in the UK - the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals - and producing the Youth Library Review magazine.

Read for Good

Read for Good’s vision is for all children in the UK to be given the opportunity, space and motivation to develop their own love of reading, benefiting them throughout their lives – for good.

One of the reasons kids don’t read is lack of motivation. One of the things that motivates kids is helping other kids. One of their simple (but brilliant) ideas is to link the two through Readathon. They are also working to maximise the books and support that schools receive - part through providing SLA membership.

Go to the Read for Good website.

Centre for Literacy in Primary Education

The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education is a charity working with all those involved in teaching literacy in primary schools. Our work raises the achievement of children by helping schools to teach literacy more effectively and showing teachers how quality children’s literature can be placed at the heart of all learning.

Go to the CLPE website.

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