Spark! in school: simple approaches to get started

There is no single way to run our awards in your school, but here are some simple suggestions that may help you to decide what to do next. 

• Read aloud or record extracts of the books, as part of whole school events such as assemblies or year group events.

• Promotion in your newsletters, for families to get the books from the library or purchase themselves.

• Use the books as the read aloud / storytime / class readers - class teachers, teaching assistants, other staff, families and members of the wider school community (e.g. governors) can take turns to read aloud to a class or record sections or chapters, which can be accessed by children at home or in school.

• Give different classes (within the same age category) a different book each to read, as a class reader, and then explore and present their books to the other classes, through a range of activities e.g. story maps, videos, reviews, artwork. Classes could then vote on which book they would like to read next and then swap round or make the books available for independent reading and responses.

• Within a class, divide into 4 reading groups and each have a different book from their age category. After reading and responding, groups could switch books or take a similar approach to sharing (see point above).

• A range of staff from across the school could host their own online reading sessions, focusing on one title from a category. Children from across the age range would then be invited to attend different sessions and, over time, would hear readings from the different books. School copies of the books could then be ‘booked out’ for reading independently or taken out of the public library.

• Use the books to lead the literacy teaching for whole classes.

• Use the books in an existing online book group or a book group for key workers/ vulnerable children in school.

• Set up an online book club to share and respond to the books - for some advice about setting up an online book club visit please visit https://literacywithmissp.com/2020/04/17/20-start-a-virtual-book-club/

• Appoint a team of judges; either from across an age category or a year group, who can meet regularly (online) to discuss the books. Judges could be selected from existing book groups or classes. See our top tips for judges in the downloads section below.

• Encourage your children to enter the competitions in Buzz magazine, when they are available.