Image Source: Premier League

Players from all 20 Premier League clubs are to use the motivational power of football to encourage children to improve their literacy skills. As part of the Premier League Reading Stars programme they will set literacy challenges and talk about their favourite books, sharing their love of reading online at www.premierleaguereadingstars.org.uk.

The National Literacy Trust programme, targets primary and secondary pupils who are not reaching the expected levels in literacy for their age. It sees every Premier League club nominate a player as their Reading Star. This player selects their favourite children’s and adults’ books to create a 40-strong book recommendation list.

Any child with internet access can watch the unique films in which 20 high-profile Premier League players set 100 literacy challenges and explain why they picked their favourite books and what they enjoy about reading. Children completing challenges win prizes, while a child completing all 100 will get the chance to win some signed memorabilia.

Premier League Reading Stars, which is delivered by the National Literacy Trust and funded by Arts Council England and the Premier League, started in 2003. Since then over 100 Premier League players have supported the project, 15,000 children and parents have participated, and over 50,000 books have been read. Also 96% of children who have taken part say they will read more regularly because of participating in the project and 71% say they now read more because they know that footballers read.

This year, the programme has been funded to work directly with 1000 schools and libraries in need and will reach over 30, 000 young people, with the potential for tens of thousands of reading challenges to be completed. For the first time the challenges online will reach millions of people all over the world and any school or library can fund their own resource pack to take part in the programme.

The 2012 programme is being launched today by The Duchess of Cornwall, Patron of the National Literacy Trust, and Arsenal forward Theo Walcott at Emirates Stadium. At the launch Theo Walcott and Her Royal Highness will join 100 pupils from local Islington schools. The children will take part in a reading quiz led by football author Tom Palmer, which will end in a penalty shoot-out with Theo.

Jonathan Douglas, Director of the National Literacy Trust said: “Our research shows that a quarter of boys (28.3%)* say that a sportsperson could inspire them to read. So getting footballers on board gives us a new and powerful strategy to get boys reading”

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore added: “The success of Premier League Reading Stars in encouraging children to read over the last eight years underlines the wonderful power football has in engaging young people. This new online element of the programme is very exciting because it means many more children and their parents will be able to access and learn from the Reading Stars resources.”

Minister of State for Schools, Nick Gibb, will be attending the event to support the project and speak passionately about boys’ literacy. He said: "Knowing that Premier League footballers like Theo Walcott read for pleasure will go a long way to encouraging reluctant readers to pick up a book. The difference in reading ability between those who read for just half an hour a day is equivalent to a whole year's schooling at age 15.

“Encouraging young people to read could not be more important and I am grateful therefore for the work of the Premier League and the National Literacy Trust in delivering the Premier League Reading Stars programme."

The choices of the players’ books ranged from bestsellers to the classics, thrillers to history. Once again there are familiar names such as Roald Dahl, JK Rowling, Dan Brown and Julia Donaldson, but the likes of Paulo Coelho, Bram Stoker, Harper Lee and Alexandre Dumas also make an appearance. Three of the players are authors in their own right: Theo Walcott, Fulham’s Mark Schwarzer and Stoke City’s Carlo Nash.

2012 Reading Stars chosen reads: club, player, children's book and adults' book.

Arsenal
Theo Walcott
TJ and the Hat-trick by Theo Walcott
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J K Rowling

Aston Villa
Barry Bannan
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
David Beckham: my side by David Beckham

Blackburn Rovers
Ryan Nelsen
Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck! by Kyle Mewburn
The Marks of Cain by Tom Know

Bolton Wanderers
Stuart Holden
The Twits by Roald Dahl
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Chelsea
Josh McEachran
Mr Messy by Roger Hargreaves
El Diego by Diego Maradona

Everton
Tim Cahill
BFG by Roald Dahl
The Smell of Football by Mick Rathbone

Fulham
Mark Schwarzer
Megs and the Vootball Kids by Neil Montagnana-Wallace & Mark Schwarzer
Destined To Live by Ruth Greuner

Liverpool
Charlie Adam
Quack Quack! (Baby touch and feel) by Roger Priddy
May I have your attention please? by James Corden

Manchester City
Owen Hargreaves
The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss
The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo

Manchester United
Chris Smalling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J K Rowling
Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Newcastle United
Mike Williamson
Meg and Mog by Helen Nicoll
Bob Wilson's Ultimate Collection of Sporting Lingo by Bob Wilson

Norwich City
David Fox
The Gruffalo's Child by Julia Donaldson
Operation Mincemeat by Ben Macintyre

Queens Park Rangers
Joey Barton
The Witches by Roald Dahl
Dracula by Bram Stoker

Stoke City
Carlo Nash
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Family Adventures in Style by Dr Jill Nash and Carlo Nash

Sunderland
John O'Shea Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl
The Runaway Jury by John Grisham

Swansea City
Leon Britton
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
An Idiot Abroad by Karl Pilkington

Tottenham Hotspur
Niko Kranjcar
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J K Rowling
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

West Bromwich Albion
Paul Scharner
The Gruffalo's Child / The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Wigan Athletic
Chris Kirkland
Splat The Cat by Rob Scotton
Thinking Outside the Box by Brad Friedel

Wolverhampton Wanderers
Stephen Ward
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Digital Fortress by Dan Brown

* National Literacy Trust study on role models: Reaching out with role models: the impact of role models on young people’s reading behaviour, Clark, Dugdale and Osbourne, April 2009. The study questioned 2,176 pupils at primary and secondary schools.

About the Barclays Premier League

The Barclays Premier League is the biggest continuous annual global sporting event in the world. Last season more than 13.4m fans attended matches with average stadium occupancy in excess of 92% for the third season in a row. Across nine months of the year 380 matches are viewed in 212 territories worldwide. Coverage of the matches is available in approximately 650m households with an estimated cumulative global audience of 4.7bn.

About Premier League Creating Chances
Premier League 4 Sport forms a major strand of the Premier League’s Creating Chances programme, which uses the power of football to make a positive difference and empower Premier League clubs to create opportunities at the heart of their communities. The Premier League has invested over £111m into Creating Chances initiatives over the last three years and the work has directly benefited 14 million people.

About the National Literacy Trust
The National Literacy Trust is an independent charity that transforms lives through literacy. We believe that society will only be fair when everyone has the literacy skills they need to communicate, to fulfil their potential and to contribute more to society. We campaign to improve public understanding of the vital importance of literacy, as well as delivering projects and working in partnership to reach those most in need of support.

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites