Reading Role Models: Benefits and How to Guide

What are Reading Role Models?

Reading role models are people who show enthusiasm for reading in front of children. Their behaviour and attitudes towards reading show a great example for children to follow and can improve a child’s perception of reading as an enjoyable activity. 

Why are Reading Role Models important?

According to the BookTrust children are more likely to become independent readers when they experience reading with and are inspired by multiple people or reading influencers. 

Reading role models encourage children to read and enjoy the process. They can help children to discover a variety of different types of text and to help children to feel more confident in their own abilities. 

Who can be a Reading Role model?

Parents, teachers and peers can all be role models

Parents:

• Reading aloud to and with children has huge benefits.

• It also shows children that reading is a great way to unwind and relax.

• If you can visit book shops and libraries together, this will also give them access to a wide range of texts. 

Teachers:

• Being a visible reader is important.

• Coming into school with books that you enjoy or enjoyed as a child.

• Recommending books, chatting with other adults about what you have read or reading aloud tasters from texts that children can then explore is a really good starting point.

• If you have capacity then organising a book club, or choosing Reading Ambassadors can be very helpful, to raise the reading for pleasure profile in your school.

Peers:

• Other children can also be excellent Reading Role Models.

• Some schools have Reading Ambassadors, who have a range of responsibilities, from recommending books, to creating book blogs, to running assemblies.

• If you’d like to find out more, take a look at this link. 

Final Thoughts

There are lots of people who can be Reading Role Models and the more examples that children have the better.

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