Reading for pleasure: Developing desire, delight and stamina

Overview:

Developing the habit of reading in childhood has potent consequences. Reading for pleasure is associated with high academic and social emotional outcomes, including for example enhanced comprehension, wider vocabulary and general knowledge, enriched writing as well as higher self-esteem and wellbeing. Volitional reading impacts on attainment across the curriculum. So, in this session, practical evidence-informed strategies for motivating all readers will be shared, enabling each child, however reluctant, to experience the pleasures in fiction and information texts in different formats, to build their stamina and to create reading networks that support and sustain their journeys as readers.

A handout of practical strategies will be provided for all attending delegates.

Target Audience:

All staff interested in reading in Years 2-8

Presenters

Teresa Cremin, CBE is Professor of Education (Literacy) at The Open University, and co-Director of the Literacy and Social Justice Centre. An ex-teacher and teacher trainer, Teresa’s research focuses on students’ motivation and engagement as literacy learners. Teresa is a Fellow of the EA, AcSS, RSA and Trustee of UKLA and the Reading Agency. She has published over 35 books and hundreds of articles, recent books include Reading and Writing for Pleasure: An Evidence-informed Framework for Practice (2026) and Reading for Pleasure: International Perspectives (2025) - both Routledge and with colleagues. Teresa is passionate about developing readers for life and leads a research and practice coalition to support volitional reading https://ourfp.org/

Kelly Ashley is a Lecturer in Reading for Pleasure at the Open University and Programme Manager for the KS3 Reading Schools Programme. She has 25 years’ experience in education, teaching in both the UK and the US and is a prolific writer, for example in Teach Primary and Impact, the Chartered College of Teaching Journal. Her current research includes a three-year magazine engagement study with What on Earth!, Hull Libraries and the James Reckitt Library Trust and an evaluation of Chapter One UK’s KS2 Book Clubs initiative.

Details

The Webinar will be online, using Teams or Zoom, and delegates will be sent a code in order to sign in.