Love Football, Loathe Reading? Premier League Reading Stars Can Help.

Edge author Dave Cousins explains how a love of ‘the beautiful game’ can inspire an interest in reading for reluctant readers.

Premier League Reading Stars is an innovative programme run by the National Literacy Trust in partnership with the Premier League. The scheme is designed for schools to use with target groups of children aged 9-13 years who “love football but lack motivation to engage with and achieve in literacy.” Building on evidence that footballers can influence the way young people view reading, PLRS offers a range of resources for schools that tap into children’s passion for football. Results show that participation in the project can have a significant impact on attainment and attitudes to reading and writing, particularly among boys and those on free school meals.

Here's a short video about the scheme.

Since kicking off its inaugural season three years ago, thousands of children have enjoyed taking part in Premier League Reading Stars. A 2014 evaluation reported that three out of four children taking part made at least six months’ reading progress during the ten week scheme, with one child in three making a year’s worth of progress! 

“On average, the reading progress of participating pupils was 50% higher than peers not taking part in the programme.”

A third of participants go on to join their local library, and the number of children who develop a daily reading habit as a result of the course is more than double. Nearly two thirds of the children involved say that seeing Premier League footballers read, made them want to read more. One of the participating school’s Ofsted report stated: “Both their reading and writing scores rose considerably as a result of their involvement in this initiative.”

The closing date for enrolling your school is Wednesday 30th September 2015. 

The new enhanced programme for 2015-16 includes a wealth of resources and benefits, including:

—1 year membership to the National Literacy Trust Network. 

—Author events with a range of venues, dates and authors.

—New season resource pack (for 20 children) including teacher’s manual, children’s activity books, certificates, stickers and posters. 

—recommended reading list for 2015-16, including the best of football-related reading online. 

—staff training sessions, held regularly across England and Wales, (September to November). 

—NEW mixed box of 20 books specially chosen to appeal to reluctant readers .

—NEW access to our updated website, with interactive challenges, competitions and quizzes, plus entry to the National PLRS Competition with the chance for pupils to win tickets to Premier League matches.

Visit the National Literacy Trust Premier League Reading Stars website for more information.

Charlie Merrick’s Misfits in Fouls, Friends and Football, written and illustrated by Dave Cousins is out now, published by Oxford University Press.

At the Edge of the World Cup: Football and Reading—a winning combination?

By the time this post goes live, we will be eight days into the 2014 FIFA World Cup Finals. It’s hard to escape football, with news and comment from Brazil dominating the airwaves and filling the streets. I like football, but I appreciate it’s not for everyone. In fact, I imagine some readers will be on the verge of clicking away to another post—but stay with me.

There are a lot of young sports fans out there, most of whom would much rather be outside kicking, or hitting, a ball than settling down with a book—but maybe sport and reading have more in common than we think. 

As a supporter of an extraordinarily unsuccessful football team, I’ve long been aware of the drama inherent in the game—in fact, what is a football match if not the classic quest story? All the ingredients are there: a closely knit band of brothers (a fellowship if you will) in search of a mythical trophy (believe me, for many fans, such trophies are indeed the stuff of legend). These protagonists are watched over by a manager or coach—an older, sometimes enigmatic figure—guiding them with words of wisdom from the sidelines. We have conflict—adversaries trying to stop our heroes from obtaining their goal. These opposing forces are often more powerful and ruthless than our plucky idols. There is a beginning, a middle and an end; a repeating series of try/fail cycles where our players attempt to use what skills they have to achieve their aims; we have characters, heroes and villains: the angry one; a young hopeful; the mercurial maverick; the legendary almost magical one; the unlikely hero waiting on the bench. As for the setting—what could be more dramatic and evocative than a full football stadium? That palpable sense of anticipation, hope and fear, carried across the floodlit field by thousands of voices raised in song. If you like stories containing heroism, a struggle against the odds, conflict, glory and failure … the World Cup Finals might not be such a bad place to look.

But can sport provide a way into reading? Once the finals are over, there will be many young fans feeling a sense of loss—a World Cup shaped hole in their lives—and there are thousands of great books that could plug that gap. Apart from the many biographies and magazines, there is a wealth of sports fiction available. I wish authors like Mal Peet, Tom Palmer and Helena Pielichaty had been writing when I was growing up, not to mention the impressive list of authors who have written about football on the National Literacy Trust’s Premier League Reading Stars website.

Here are a few links to resources that may be helpful in tempting young sports fans to pick up a book …

Premier League Reading Stars FREE World Cup resources

The Reading Agency Kick Off! Football Action Chatterbooks Activity Pack

Oxford University Press Charlie Merrick Free Football Resources

A list of my top 11 football books

Charlie Merrick's step by step guide to drawing a football action scene

Charlie Merrick’s Misfits in Fouls, Friends and Football by Dave Cousins, is out now, published by Oxford University Press.

Bringing Dead Frank to Life for "Reluctant Readers" …

This week we find Edge author Dave Cousins in Dr Frankenstein guise, preparing for a spot of reanimation …

Real life often finds its way into what we write, but it doesn’t usually happen the other way around! 

When I was making up fictional favourite bands for Oz – the narrator of my second teen novel Waiting for Gonzo – I was just having fun, trying to build a fully three-dimensional character. I like ‘music’ in books – lyrics or references to songs lets you share the soundtrack of the character’s life and takes the reader deeper into the story.

I chose to invent bands in Waiting for Gonzo because musical taste is so personal – I didn’t want to use existing artists that readers might not like! Oz is also a bit of an elitist – it seemed logical that he would only listen to obscure music that nobody else had heard of. That moment of ‘discovering’ a new band, feeling that they somehow belong to you, creates a special bond between the listener and the artist, and it was important to the story for Oz to have that.

Spilt Milk sleeve by Michael Fewtrell

I had hours of fun coming up with names, song titles and … yes, I’ll admit … entire discographies for Oz’s favourites! Everything was fine, until the idea was raised that readers might want to hear what Dead Frank’s Supersonic Milkfloat or Cyclops Dog actually sounded like. But you can’t listen to imaginary songs by bands that don’t exist … or can you?

A long long time ago, in a faraway galaxy … I played in a band. We had a record deal and were almost famous for a while … 

I rang up my old bandmate, Michael – the inspiration for Dead Franks’ Michael Death in the book. 

“Er … you wouldn’t fancy writing a song for me would you?”  

“A song?!!!” (I could actually hear those exclamation marks rattling down the phone!)

I explained. He didn’t sound convinced. 

“The band’s called Dead Frank’s Supersonic Milkfloat,” I told him.  “The song’s called Spilt Milk.” 

“Mmm …” he said. “Let me think about it.” 

Twenty-four hours later Spilt Milk by Dead Frank’s Supersonic Milkfloat was blasting out of my speakers. 

I rang Michael. “This is great,” I told him. “Perfect!” 

“I enjoyed it,” he said. “Pity you don’t need any more.” 

“Well …” I said, “there are three other bands in the story …”

Two months later we had recorded a full soundtrack album, featuring ten original songs by Oz’s favourite bands – each with a unique sound and style: from the sci-fi, pop-punk of Cigarette UFO to Dead Frank’s Supersonic Milkfloat and their brittle brand of tongue-in-cheek lyrics and angry Telecasters; the epic gothic rock of Prayer for Halo and, of course, the magnificently monocular, sunshine pop of Cyclops Dog. Ten imaginary songs by bands that don’t exist. Except, now they do …

When I go into schools to talk to young people about Waiting for Gonzo it's interesting to see the reaction when I mention the soundtrack. In any group of pupils there are going to be some not interested in reading, but the majority I speak to like music. Whether or not the songs will provide an alternative way into the book remains to be seen – but if listening to the soundtrack or watching the videos makes one "reluctant reader" give the book a go, it won't be a bad thing … 

A single from the album is being officially released on Monday (8 July 2013). It will be available to download from all the usual music sites and eligible for the charts! It’s even got a video!! All proceeds from the single will be donated to Bliss, the UK charity working to provide care and support for premature babies and their families.

I’m not expecting Sunglasses by Cyclops Dog to be a number one … but you never know. Sometimes life can be stranger than fiction!

Sunglasses by Cyclops Dog will be available to download for 79p* from iTunes, Amazon and other good music sites. (* prices may vary, but all proceeds go to Bliss) 

Tweet #gonzosunglasses to spread the word! Thanks.

Waiting for Gonzo by Dave Cousins, is out now in paperback and BBC audiobook.