Gold framework

Key Area 1.2.1 – Reading leadership group

Form a reading leadership group who input into your action plan and meet regularly to discuss progress and ideas to ensure learners are at the heart of your Reading Schools development; all year groups have some sort of representation; staff and learners work together to discuss, agree and implement changes.

The leadership group must:

• Include learners and the school librarian, if the school has one. It can also include teachers, support staff and Senior Management Team

• Meet regularly to discuss and implement plans

• At Gold level we expect Reading Schools to invite families or external partners from within the community to join your leadership group, e.g. local public librarian, local bookshop staff, local religious figure

Key Area 1.2.2 – Learner role modelling

Learners visibly sharing reading with each other; peers supporting each other to develop their reading identities; peers sharing reading recommendations.

Learners should act as reading role models in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting and learners:

• Wearing ‘Ask me what I’m reading’ badges / lanyards

• Talking about reading materials they’ve read in assembly / at whole-school occasions

• Creating learner-led recommendation lists for display

• Making learner-led shelf labels or signs

• Putting learner-led recommendation notes / bookmarks in reading materials

• Making learner-led recommendation videos

• Making learner-led book trailers / vlogs

• Making learner-led reading materials lists for staff

Learners should support one another more formally in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting and learners:

• Taking an active role in planning and taking part in a paired reading project

• Acting as reading mentors

• Sharing storytelling videos / activities with reading buddies

• Leading a reading club

Learners should act as reading role models through interactions with members of the wider community in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting and learners:

• Create a project that engages others in your community to enjoy reading, such as being Book Doctors and giving out 'reading prescriptions’

• Actively participating in or running reading activities in a public space (e.g. public library, local book festival etc.)

• Communicating through community media, e.g. local newspaper, radio etc.

• Creating reading podcasts / videos to share with the community via social media

• Learners display reading recommendations in community spaces or windows

Key Area 1.2.3 – Staff being seen as readers themselves

Staff sharing the things they enjoy reading; staff across the school demonstrate how they are readers themselves; the normalisation of reading for pleasure as an activity for everyone.

Staff should visibly share their own reading identities in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting:

• Displaying ‘currently reading’ signs on classroom doors

• Wearing ‘Ask Me What I’m Reading’ lanyards or badges

• Talking about reading materials they’ve read in assembly / at whole-school occasions

• Giving learners opportunities to see them enjoy personal reading time, such as by reading their own choices alongside class reading activity

• Having 'guess the reader' displays with photos of staff favourite reading materials / bookshelves

• Taking part in online reading challenges shared with the school community, e.g. 'post a photo of your reading lunch'

• Sharing reading materials recommendation videos

Key Area 1.2.4 – Staff development

Ensuring staff across the school understand why reading for pleasure is important; having knowledge of research-informed principles / practices; building staff skill and experience in supporting reading for pleasure initiatives.

Schools should support staff development by completing both of the below mandatory actions:

• Key contact attending a Reading Schools PL session or following the e-modules to understand the programme ethos and process

• Staff are using Scottish Book Trust or other professional resources to widen knowledge around reading for pleasure

Schools should extend staff development by completing the below three mandatory actions:

• Involving the staff team / teachers of other subjects / support staff in training around reading for pleasure

• Reading more widely about the pedagogy and contemporary research around reading for pleasure

• Engaging with colleagues across the school and sharing work e.g. via online communication or face-to-face meetings

Schools should extend staff development further by completing the below three mandatory actions:

• Working in partnership with other schools

• Being an ambassador school and welcoming visitors to share practice

• Leading a PL within your local authority / cluster area or presenting at a shared practice showcase event / Scottish Book Trust webinar

Key Area 1.2.5 – Staff knowledge of contemporary children’s literature

Developing staff across the school’s knowledge of contemporary children’s literature; helping staff to be able to recommend and discuss a range of reading materials relevant to the needs, interests, lives, identities, abilities and experiences of all their learners.

Schools should make staff aware of contemporary children’s literature by completing the below mandatory action:

• Making staff aware of contemporary children’s literature through signposting to new book lists and other appropriate resources
  

Schools should ensure that staff have access to contemporary children’s literature to read in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting:

• Inviting your local librarian in to talk to staff about new reading materials available to them and ensuring they have a library card

• Gifting contemporary children's reading material to each staff member, encouraging them to share across the team

• Having a ‘borrow box’ in the staff room with regularly updated contemporary children's reading materials

• Arranging a staff trip to a local bookshop to speak to booksellers about contemporary children’s titles

Schools should create opportunities for staff to explore, share and discuss contemporary children’s literature in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting:

• Introducing a staff book club

• Providing physical areas for discussion, e.g. an interactive display board in the staff room

• Providing online spaces for discussion

• Taking part in, or establishing, local authority staff book clubs

Key Area 1.3.1 – Whole-school action plan

Submitting an action plan detailing the aims for progressing and sustaining the reading culture, giving a structure to your Reading Schools development; ensuring learners are fully involved in the choices made; monitoring progress against chosen areas.

All Reading Schools must:

• Agree their action plan in collaboration with their learner and staff reading leadership group

• Confirm that reading for pleasure is a school wide priority, e.g. adding it to the school improvement plan

• Include plans to check and monitor progress

Key Area 1.3.2 – School environment

Creating appealing and relaxed areas for reading enjoyment in partnership with learners, this may include both quiet and social areas; demonstrating visually that reading for pleasure has high status in the school and is accessible to all learners.

Schools should provide appealing and relaxing reading areas in collaboration with learners, and use displays to promote reading in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting and learners:

• Having a range of appealing reading areas throughout the school, e.g. in shared spaces / corridors / within your school library area

• Creating classroom book corners / reading areas designed by learners (possibly as part of an enterprise project)

• Providing learners with cushions / encouraging them to move from their chairs and relax when they're reading

• Creating themed displays of reading material in collaboration with learners, e.g. to link in with topics or times of year

• Displaying new reading material suggestions, e.g. 'Hot Books' / 'Bookflix'

• Having displays about the power of reading

Schools should create opportunities for learners to read outside the classroom in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting and learners:

• Having reading sessions outdoors or in unusual places

• Having reading spaces in the playground, e.g. a reading bench or storytelling chair

• Having a playground library

• Incorporating reading into breakfast clubs / after-school clubs

• Incorporating reading into school events and celebrations

Schools should make reading visible in their community in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting, learners and community:

• Creating displays about reading for pleasure in community spaces

  • Learners planning and delivering a Book Fairies project

• Creating book 'pavement quotes' or window signs

• Learners planning and delivering a community book trail.

• Creating a community reading area, e.g. a reading bench or garden

Key Area 1.3.3 – National events and celebrations

Generating excitement over daily reading routines and maintaining momentum by taking part in national reading celebrations throughout the year.

Schools should generate excitement around reading by taking part in one of the below initiatives, or in another that suits their setting and learners:

• Book Week Scotland

• World Book Day / Night

• National Poetry Day

• Other local reading events / prizes / festivals

• Incorporate reading into other international events / days / celebrations, e.g. Black History Month, International Women’s Day, Empathy Day, Eid, Diwali, Earth Day, Pride Month etc

Key Area 1.5.1 – Access to high-quality reading materials

Ensuring learners have access to a wide variety of up-to-date reading materials relevant to their needs, interests, abilities, lives, identities and experiences; encouraging learners to try new things and gathering learners' opinions about the types of reading materials they would like to see in the school.

Schools should make sure that learners have access to contemporary and diverse reading materials relevant to their needs, interests, abilities, lives, identities and experiences by completing the below four mandatory actions:

• Providing learners with access to a school or public library – this could take the form of class / group book boxes or a 'personal shopping experience' using library catalogues

• Involving learners in the auditing and selection of books and other reading materials

• Regularly updating reading materials to ensure they are contemporary, diverse and relevant to the needs, interests, languages, cultural identity and experiences of learners

• Encouraging learners to broaden their reading experience through a wide variety of genres and themes, such as using the Bookzilla app to explore

Schools should extend access to contemporary reading materials by completing the below mandatory action:

• Providing all learners with the opportunity to join the local public library for lifelong access to books, other reading materials, eBooks and audiobooks
  

Key Area 2.2.1 – Regular opportunities to read for pleasure

Ensuring that regular reading for pleasure takes place; reading is integrated into the school day / week and not just used to fill time or to reward good work, demonstrating that reading is considered an enjoyable and important activity within the school.

Schools should ensure that all learners have regular time to read texts of their own choosing, that they are enjoying and are engaged with, in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting and learners:

• Having regular reading at registration / transition times / other times as appropriate

• Holding spontaneous DEAR time (Drop Everything and Read)

• Including reading for pleasure time in home learning

Key Area 2.2.2 – Interdisciplinary book projects

Ensuring that learners are able to explore topics using books and reading material in creative and cross-curricular ways, demonstrating to all learners that reading for pleasure is relevant and useful outside of literacy / English.

Schools should use book projects to inspire exploration of topics by completing the below mandatory action:

• Primary – ensuring every learner does one interdisciplinary project per year

• Secondary – ensuring every learner in S1–3 does one project annually (this can be in English or library lessons)

Schools should extend their book projects by completing the below mandatory action:

• Primary – providing an opportunity for classes to share their book projects across the school

• Secondary – introducing one cross-curricular project annually, involving other subject departments or external creative practitioners

Key Area 2.3.1 – Modelling reading behaviours

Facilitating opportunities for all learners to hear stories being read aloud, modelling of reading mechanics for inexperienced readers and allowing access to texts currently beyond their reading level; group immersion in great stories / texts and opportunities for discussion and new book discovery.

Primary schools should complete the below mandatory action:

• Schools to sustain core level: Class teachers routinely read enjoyable and engaging materials aloud to their class (mandatory)

• Primary only – we expect schools to be inviting members of the community in to read, e.g., mystery readers, public library staff, sportspeople, local figures, other role models etc. in ways which generate interest, excitement and enjoyment around reading

At secondary schools we recognise that it may be logistically difficult for staff to routinely read aloud to learners, but would like to see evidence of staff supporting learners to access the joy of reading and stories in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting and learners:

• Teachers or librarians read aloud to learners when possible

• Providing access to audiobooks, storytelling videos etc.

• Holding special storytelling events

Key Area 2.3.2 – Staff-led meaningful conversations around books

Getting to know learners individual reading habits and preferences, ensuring staff are able to recommend a range of relevant reading; developing staff-learner book-centred dialogue, encouraging learners to try new things.

Staff should ensure they know about learners' interests and have regular conversations with them about their personal reading in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting and learners:

• Modelling discussion by chatting with individual learners during whole-class reading time / other times, in ways which are enjoyable and engaging

• Supporting learners with individual strategies for choosing reading material they might like during class time / library periods, e.g. Secondary schools may use Story Deck

• Providing reading recommendations for individual learners in line with their interests, ability, identities and preferences

Key Area 2.3.3 – Creating learner social networks

Developing peer-to-peer reading chat, encouraging learners to discuss, reflect on and enjoy texts amongst themselves, developing individual reading identities and helping learners to share reading materials they enjoy.

Schools should allocate time for all learners to chat about reading materials with each other in ways that are personally enjoyable, meaningful and engaging, using one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting and learners:

• Having a set time for peer discussion following DEAR time / other times as appropriate

• Introducing book speed-dating

• Playing Book Jenga to spark conversations around books

• Pairing up learners to chat about what they are currently reading – this could include famous character duo cards to randomise pairings

Schools should give learner social networks more formal structures in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting and learners:

• Offering interest-based clubs or groups during break times / free lessons / breakfast or after school clubs tailored to your school community (you could use Attitude Surveys to identify need and interest), e.g. books and biscuits, manga group, ASN, sensory storytelling, poetry groups, non-fiction, Sci-Fi, EAL

• Holding regular reading networking events for learners, e.g. a reading café or reading quiz

• Hosting online book club sessions – these could include learners from other schools

• Providing book club boxes for learners to take home, including a shared notebook for comments / questions

Key Area 2.3.4 – Opportunities for learners to respond to what they’re reading

Supporting learners to reflect upon, express and share what they think about the texts they read; creating opportunities for creative expression of individual reading identities.

Schools should allow all learners to respond to what they’re reading in a variety of engaging and innovative / creative ways that best suit their needs in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting and learners:

• Reading journal / drawing

• Blog / vlog / book trailers

• Social media posts

• Book review / recommendation for school newspaper / website

• Creative writing piece

• Use of expressive arts, e.g. drama, music, dance etc.

• Enterprise project, e.g. creating a school recipe book based on favourite books

Key Area 2.3.5 – Access to authors

Giving all learners the opportunity to engage with authors (writers, poets, illustrators or storytellers).

Schools should give all learners the opportunity to engage with authors (writers, poets, illustrators or storytellers) in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting and learners:

• Watching Authors Live (Live or On Demand)

• Arranging an author visit or residency (have a look at Scottish Book Trust’s Live Literature funding options)

• Attending / taking part in an online book festival or other book-related event

• Taking part in an online book chat with an author, poet, illustrator or storyteller

Key Area 2.5.1 – Raising the profile of reading with families

Family engagement, encouraging reading at home, helping parents / carers to understand the value and enjoyment that comes from offering access to books at home.

Schools should engage with learners’ families to promote reading for pleasure by completing the below mandatory actions:

• Providing access to reading materials to take home / encouraging families to join their local library for access to books, other reading materials, eBooks and audiobooks

• Engaging with families about the school’s reading projects and incorporating fun reading activities into home learning as appropriate

• Primary only – encourage use of the P1 Bookbug Family Bag and Read Write Count with the First Minister bags and resources at home

Schools should offer further opportunities to promote reading for pleasure to families in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting, learners and families:

• Holding special events, e.g. reading picnics, book café, evening reading by the campfire

• Inviting families to attend / take part in online author events, e.g. Authors Live or virtual book festival

• Primary only – Inviting families into school for P1 Bookbug Family Bag and Read Write Count gifting events

Schools should actively encourage learners’ families to take part in reading for pleasure activities to build their confidence and skills in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting, learners and families:

• Holding book clubs for families in school / online

• Having lending libraries for adults, e.g. in the reception area

• Running workshops for families, e.g. Read, Write, Count or other literacy initiatives

• Creating recommended reading lists for families, consulting with them on the types of reading materials they would like to try

• Encouraging families with EAL to contribute to reading lists in their own language

Key Area 2.7.1 – Partnerships within local community

Building sustainable partnerships in the local community; sharing the benefits of reading for pleasure outside of the school gates; sharing the expertise learners and staff have built over the course of their reading for pleasure journey.

Schools should build sustainable partnerships within their wider community, sharing expertise in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting, learners and community:

• Working with the local public library on a joint project, e.g. a community reading club

• Partnering with a local bookshop on a joint project, e.g. community reading picnics

• Working with a local business to encourage customers to read, e.g. a ‘read while you wait’ initiative at the hairdressers

• Partnering with a college / university on a joint project to extend and enhance learners’ reading experiences

• Working with a third sector organisation on a joint project, e.g. a reading pen-pal initiative with a local care home

Watch our webinar short on 2.7.1 Partnerships within local community

Key Area 3.2.1 – Rewarding progress and recognising personal achievements

Generating interest, excitement and engagement around reading, demonstrating to learners that ‘success’ is often different for each person; highlighting quality and diversity of reading experiences rather than quantity; ensuring all learners feel their reading is valued.

Schools should reward the progress of individual learners in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting and learners:

• Presenting certificates to celebrate individual learners’ reading development and motivations (e.g. reading more, extending reading interests, recommending to others)

• Awarding small prizes such as bookmarks or stickers to celebrate individual learners’ reading development and motivations (e.g. reading more, extending reading interests, recommending to others)

• Awarding points through the school's individual rewards system to celebrate individual learners’ reading development and motivations (e.g. reading more, extending reading interests, recommending to others)

Schools should celebrate reading in wider groups or as a whole-school in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting:

• Holding a prize-giving assembly, or including reading materials as prizes in other award categories within the school

• Having a reading party

• Rewarding learners with a Book Bistro / Hot Chocolate chat or other reading event

• Gifting books, e.g. for Christmas or birthdays

Schools should widen celebrations to include the community in one of the below ways, or in another way that suits their setting:

• Inviting members of the community to take part in celebrations in school

• Holding a celebration event in a community venue

• Holding a joint event with a partner, such as the local public library, to celebrate learner achievements

• Celebrating learner achievements in community spaces, e.g. social media / local paper

Key Area 3.2.2 – Monitoring progress

Gathering meaningful starting point data so you can compare changes later; gathering data about the impact of the initiatives; gathering learners, staff and parental viewpoints; monitoring and adapting activities.

Schools should track their progress by completing the below three mandatory actions:

• Using the Reading Schools attitude surveys to assess and monitor learners’ interests, enjoyment, engagement and confidence within reading

• Monitoring the impact of your Reading Schools programme in ways most suited to your setting, learners and activities

• Taking part in the Reading Schools Impact survey, which will be sent to you once your accreditation has been confirmed