Impact of Author visits to schools

The National Literacy Trust has just published an important new report showing how author visits to schools boost children's reading. Children who have had an author visit in the last academic year are more likely to enjoy reading and are twice as likely to read above the expected level for their age. This resonates with our team as each year we experience the great excitement and enthusiasm of the children we work with; the delight as they enter the theatre, the spell bound response to our authors' performances and the brilliance of the work produced during the in-school workshops.

This year the Children's Bookshow will enable 10,000 children to see an author or illustrator live on stage and give 1800 children the chance to work with a writer or artist in their own classroom. What we are doing is vital to boost literacy levels across the country.

The report states that only 1 in 4 pupils have had an author visit in the last academic year and that children from the poorest backgrounds are likely to miss out. In 2019, 80% of our tour is in areas of high deprivation. We are working to try and breakdown socio-economic barriers to a love of reading.

Please support our work http://thechildrensbookshow.com/donate

To read the National Literacy Trust report https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/impact-writer-visits-children-and-young-peoples-literacy-engagement/