Six Book Challenge In Cadwyn Y Canolbarth

Six Book Challenge™in association with the Costa Book Awards

What is the Six Book Challenge?

• A proven way of engaging adults who are improving their literacy skills

• 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

What does it provide?

• A positive and enjoyable way of supporting new readers‘To read six books is quite hard for some people.   But once you've read one you have to go on to another to compare them.  It makes you appreciate books. You get a buzz out of it.’ 

Tina Hewitt, an adult learner from Hull who has now started her own Quick Reads group

• A mechanism for linking reading for pleasure and purpose into your work with learners‘The Six Book Challenge has given us an excellent opportunity to work closely with adult education providers in a way that really makes a difference to learners. Through these partnerships we have been able to encourage people to use their local library and have helped them to discover the joy of choosing and reading books for pleasure.’ Jessica Leathley, Senior Librarian: Reader and Audience Development, Hull Libraries

• A flexible partnership tool to be used in colleges, community centres, libraries, workplaces and prisons‘It’s a fantastic scheme.  We do a group read at the end of every class and then they read the book at home and bring back a review.  Their confidence has grown and grown and they are happy to tackle other reading now.  It’s certainly made a contribution to improving their level of literacy.’  Cheryl Parker, Skills for Life tutor, Adult Community Learning, Hull

• 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 research evidence

• ‘…emergent readers are learning to do new things and to do things differently … Over three-quarters of respondents reported an increase in skills.’ Confidence All Round: The Impact on Emergent Adult Readers of Reading for Pleasure through Libraries –research commissioned by The Vital Link from Morris Hargreaves McIntyre in 2005

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

National contacts

• www.sixbookchallenge.org.uk

• genevieve.clarke@readingagency.org.uk

Tel 0871 750 2104

• ruth.harrison@readingagency.org.uk

Tel 0871 750 1205

Local contacts

• Sharon Crossan sic@aber.ac.uk – Regional Development Officer