Six Book Challengein association with Costa

What is the Six Book Challenge?

• A proven way of engaging and motivating adults to improve their literacy skills

• An invitation to read six books and record reading in a diary

• Library support for choosing books• Certificate for those who read six books• Chance to enter a national prize draw

sponsored by Costa

What does it provide?

• A positive and enjoyable way of supporting new readers‘I never thought I could read one book, never mind six! I feel so proud. I’ve never felt so good about myself. I feel like I can do anything now.’Noleen Vine, 2008 Challenge completer, Warrington

• A mechanism for linking reading for pleasure and purpose into your work with learners‘Reading is such an important part of what we do. It was great that we had the support and resources to really sell the benefits of reading to our adult learners.’Val Wood, Skills for Life Co-ordinator, Stoke on Trent College

• A flexible partnership tool to be used in colleges, community centres, libraries, workplaces and prisons‘We’ll be running the Six Book Challenge again in 2009 by popular demand from adult tutors and learners.’ Andrew Fisher, Reading and Learning Librarian, Dorset Libraries

• The best opportunity yet to collect evidence about the impact of reading for pleasure on learners—Numbers participating and completing—Comments and answers in reading diary—Local evaluation process—National evaluation for The Vital Link

Impact from 2008

• An estimated 7000 Challenge participants across the UK - 69% of library services UK-wide signed up plus another 50 learning organisations and more than 50 prisons

• Average completion rate of betwee 40% and 50%

• 88% said they gained something, eg a new or renewed interest in reading, use of the library, introduction to different reading material and progress with their reading and writing

• 60% felt that their literacy skills had improved –endorsed by tutors

• 89% expected to use the library more to borrow books, • 85% to read more magazines and newspapers• 77% to write more (eg diary, stories, letters, emails)• 76% to read more fiction than they had before

News for 2009

• Main SBC activity to run from January to June but can be run at any time

• Continuing sponsorship from Costa offering prize draws

• Continuing support from bestselling author Mike Gayle as patron

Opportunities for growth

• Adult & community learning – strong SBC library authorities show engagement of high numbers

• workplaces – more than 250 participants in SBC 08 through unionlearn in Yorkshire, eg Fox’s Biscuits, Fletcher’s Bakery, Royal Mail, BT and Corus; Yorkshire unionlearn committing £5K to SBC materials and new Quick Reads for 2009 to involve up to 30 workplaces, plus support from national TUC

• prison education – more than 50 prisons took part, some of which run the Challenge year-round

• FE college libraries – several colleges took part using their own libraries/learning resource centres

• family learning, children’s centres, extended schools – big potential for running the Challenge with parents

Finding the right books

• Books specially written for new adult readers:—Quick Reads and series published by Sandstone (Vista),

New Island (Open Door) and Barrington Stoke• Books specially selected using the Vital Link criteria:

—Non-fiction on topics ranging from cars to childcare—Fiction from short stories to sagas—Poetry—Graphic novels

• All listed at www.firstchoicebooks.org.uk

Useful links for resources

• www.vitallink.org.uk • www.quickreads.org.uk• www.sandstonepress.com• www.newisland.ie• www.barringtonstoke.co.uk• www.ransom.co.uk • www.newleafbooks.org.uk• www.gatehousebooks.org.uk • www.avantibooks.com

National contacts

• www.sixbookchallenge.org.uk

• genevieve.clarke@readingagency.org.ukTel 0871 750 2104

Local contacts