School pupils in Suffolk celebrate World Book Day
World Book Day's focus this year is on allowing children to read in ways they find enjoyable
Children in Suffolk and across the UK will be enjoying World Book Day today.
World Book Day’s evidence shows that children are more likely to read if they enjoy it, so this year, the charity will encourage them to ‘Read Their Way’ and celebrate children’s choices.
"There's something out there for everybody"
At Gorseland Primary School in Martlesham, children will be dressed all cosy, as reading ambassadors at the school go into different classrooms to read with parents and other pupils.
We spoke to the Deputy Head Teacher Maria Parsons who told us encouraging their students to read for fun, amusement and gratification has always been important to them:
"World Book Day is a fantastic opportunity to really promote reading for pleasure.
"We have a fantastic reading for pleasure ethos here at Gorseland that's supported by our wonderful reading ambassadors.
"I think the key message is you can enjoy a whole variety of texts. There's something out there for everybody and it's just finding that... There's something out there for everybody."
Maria Parson also told us about the benefits reading can have: "It can open up a whole variety of opportunities, whether that's learning new things, whether it's how to overcome challenges, reading to escape reality and just enjoying that fantasy world.
"World Book Day is another reminder of how we can encourage everybody to immerse themselves in a book or different variety of texts."
"It can help you accept different cultures and states of mind"
We spoke to the pupils at Gorseland who told us they love to read and are inspired by characters such as The Doctor, Katniss Everdeen, Amy from 'Escape Room' or Arthur from the 'Land of the Lost' series.
We asked them why reading is important. These are some of the answers they came up with.
- "I like all the adventures."
- "I get stuck in the book and feel like I am in a different world."
- "When I am reading I just feel calm and relaxed and it's a good way to calm down after a long day."
- "When you're writing a story, you have more ideas."
- "You can use it in your own writing to make it better."
- "Books can teach you a lot of things."
- "It can help you accept different cultures and states of mind."
Reading crisis
The charity World Book Day has emphasised that during a time of reading crisis, their ‘Read Your Way’ campaign will encourage more children and young people to read for fun to seriously improve lives.
It says, with levels of reading enjoyment currently at an all-time low, it’s more important than ever to get young people excited about reading for fun, unlocking the proven benefits it brings, including better wellbeing and improved learning across the school curriculum.
It's research found one in 10 children aged 5 – 18 do not have a single book of their own at home.
Cassie Chadderton, World Book Day CEO says: “At the heart of World Book Day is the belief – backed by evidence – that children are more likely to read if they enjoy it and have a choice in what and how to read.
“Graphic novels, comics, or one of our amazing £1 books – free in exchange for a World Book Day book token – can help unlock the power of reading. We’re excited to be working with so many partners to reach even more children and families, and to invite everyone to join the party and ‘Read Their Way’ this World Book Day.”