TOMMY: My name's Tommy Dawkins and I'm from Stoke-on-Trent. One of my favourite things I love to do is buy a programme from Port Vale - that's my club, that's my heart and soul - sit there and read it.
[Reading from the Port Vale programme] "Micky Adams says, 'I would like to welcome Lawrie Sanchez and all the staff, directors and supporters of Barnet FC…'"
Now, I read it, I understand it and it's fantastic.
LOUISE: My name's Louise Jones and I'm from Manchester. Now I'm reading nursery books with Daniel and I love it! It's really good.
[Reading to her children] "Freddie was a naughty fish. One day he saw a bright, shiny pearl…"
I love reading books and one time, you wouldn't catch me within a mile of a book.
SHAUN: My name is Shaun Allison, I'm from Huddersfield, and I like reading my local newspaper.
[Reading from the Huddersfield Examiner] "The UK's attitude to maths must change…"
Reading and writing's helped me to change my life.
NZINGA: My name is Nzinga Okera. I work for London Transport and I'm dyslexic.
I like reading Mills and Boon's books because they've got a good storyline, they're very romantic. I quite enjoyed reading it and I've been reading them ever since.
SUE: My name is Sue Chapman and I'm from Reading. My passion for cooking is actually sitting here, reading a recipe.
Let me see if I've got the ingredients. [Reading from her recipe book] "It's cod, haddock, cup of milk…"
It's such a wonderful thing to be able to read.
Reading for pleasure means any reading that is mainly for enjoyment.
Quick tutor notes
Reading for pleasure includes:
- Understanding different types of fiction: genres (science fiction, historical fiction, ghost stories), imagery in poetry, reading with children.
- Features of non-fiction: reading for hobbies, reading newspapers and magazines (including skimming and scanning), online research
Downloadable Factsheets
Entry 1 & 2 - Doctor Who - Science fiction
Common themes of science fiction stories.
Entry 1 & 2 - Doctor Who - Characters
Learn about characters with Doctor Who stories
Entry 1 & 2 - Reading with children
Ways to help children enjoy reading.
Entry 1 & 2 - Working out new words
What to do when you come across a new word.
Entry 1 & 2 - Choosing books with children
Tips on choosing books with children.
Level 1 - Beyond the Bounty - Finding out more
Visit these websites to learn more about the Bounty mutiny, the Pitcairn settlement, and present-day Pitcairn.
Entry 3 - Reading for hobbies
Finding information about hobbies in books and magazines or on the internet.
Entry 3 - The Little One - Characters
Factsheet looking at characters from Lynda La Plante's The Little One.
Entry 3 - The Little One - Ghost stories
Factsheet looking at common themes in ghost stories.
Entry 3 - The Little One - Creating atmosphere
Read through these examples of how adjectives and adverbs help to create atmosphere.
Entry 3 - Reading newspapers and magazines
Scanning and skimming can be used to help you read newspapers and magazines.
Level 1 - Beyond the Bounty - Historical fiction
What are the common themes in historical fiction?
Level 1 - Beyond the Bounty - First-person narration
What is first-person narration?
Level 1 - Poetic terms
Some commonly used terms in poetry
Level 1 - Imagery in poetry
Read through these examples of imagery in poetry.
Downloadable Worksheets
Entry 1 & 2 - Sue's fish pie recipe
Play a spot-the-word game based on Sue Chapman's fish pie recipe
Entry 1 & 2 - Doctor Who - Reading aloud
Some lines from Doctor Who to read aloud with another adult or a child.
Entry 1 & 2 - Doctor Who - Setting the scene
Exercise to help promote understanding of how a writer sets the scene
Entry 1 & 2 - Doctor Who - Story development
Exercise in thinking about how stories start to develop
Entry 1 & 2 - Finding books with children
Handy checklist to help you find a book that's right for a child
Entry 1 & 2 - Sharing books with children
Worksheet on sharing books with children.
Entry 1 & 2 - Doctor Who - Who says what?
Match what was said to the character that said it.
Entry 1 & 2 - Sounding out words
Exercise to help learners tackle new or difficult words.
Entry 3 - Reading for information
Helpful table to use while looking for specific information
Entry 3 - Scanning for key words and phrases
Exercise to help you pick out important information
Entry 3 - The Little One - Descriptive words
Activity to identify adjectives and adverbs
Entry 3 - The Little One - Setting the scene
Quiz activity on The Little One by Lynda La Plante.
Entry 3 - The Little One - Creating suspense
Thinking about how stories may start to develop
Entry 3 - The Little One story development
Follow how a writer develops a story in this activity
Level 1 - Beyond the Bounty - Online research
Activity involving online research based on Beyond the Bounty by Tony Parsons.
Level 1 - Beyond the Bounty - Looking at language
Exercise in words and the associations they may suggest.
Level 1 - Finding information online
Activity to practise searching for information online.
Level 1 - Understanding imagery
Activity to test knowledge of similes and metaphors
Level 1 - Beyond the Bounty - Setting the scene
Read or listen to the first chapter of Beyond the Bounty and try to answer these questions.
Level 1 - Discussing fiction
Activity to record your thoughts about a fictional book
Audio
Doctor Who: Magic of the Angels by Jacqueline Rayner
The Little One by Lynda La Plante
Beyond the Bounty by Tony Parsons
More videos on this topic
Nzinga's story: reading romantic novels
Nzinga Okera discusses reading for pleasure.
Shaun's story: Reading the newspaper
Shaun Allison discusses reading for pleasure.
Louise's story: Reading with children
Louise Jones discusses reading for pleasure.
Sue's story: Reading recipes
Sue Chapman tells her inspiring story.
Tommy's story: Reading the football programme
Tommy Dawkins discusses reading for pleasure.
Stories about you: Making reading personal
Blackpool literacy learners talk about reading stories written about themselves.
Reading groups enjoying books together
Shaun Allison talks about a reading group he runs in his home town of Huddersfield.
Visiting a gallery: Reading about paintings
A Transport for London literacy class visit the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Reading in pairs: Helping each other
A look at how paired reading can improve and increase the enjoyment of reading.
Talking about books: Looking at covers
Looking at a book cover to guess what the book is about.
Sue's story: 63 reasons to read
Sue Chapman talks about the list she has made of 63 things that learning to read has enabled her to do.
Learning to read: Tips from adult learners
A short video encouraging people to get help if they want to improve their reading and writing skills.
