Help pupils catch the reading bug

Each year, more rewards are given away and the 2021/22 academic year will be no different. Along with lots of book bundles and exciting class resources such as STEM materials, there will be author and special guest visits to bring joy to the children. Buster Bug himself will make a special appearance along with the ever-popular Creepy Claws animal interactions.

This academic year, the KM Charity Team - the charity behind Buster’s Book Club - gave away prizes worth more than £1,000 to schools participating in their educational programmes, along with a variety of fun videos including a big ‘well done’ from CBeebies’ Mister Maker!

Buster’s Book Club is incredibly effective at motivating children to spend more time reading for pleasure at home. Prizes are allocated to classes as a whole, and every minute spent reading counts towards the total class score - whether the children have met their reading targets or not.

Winners are chosen based on who has achieved the biggest number of minutes or shown the biggest improvement by percentage - so any class of any size school has the chance to win.

Pupils can read to themselves; to others such as a parent, sibling or pet; or listen to an audiobook, or even choose a combination of all three. Any reading material counts whether it’s a book, comic or recipe! A parent or guardian signs their special bookmark to confirm the child’s reading minutes which are then recorded by the school.

Literacy coordinator Kay Devine said: “Buster’s Book Club is all about inspiring a love of reading that will last a lifetime. The competitive element has universal appeal - even amongst reluctant readers - and, because prizes are awarded to the whole class, pupils naturally support each other to try their hardest. Added to this, it can provide rich opportunities for older pupils to mentor younger ones."

“We know from National Literacy Trust statistics that children who enjoy reading are five times more likely to have a higher reading ability than their reluctant peers. Reading for fun is ‘learning made effortless’ in areas ranging from vocabulary and language to imagination, knowledge and empathy."

“Buster’s is a tried and tested programme with ready-made resources that engage pupils and involve parents in their children’s reading journey. It creates a buzz around reading for pleasure that reverberates in every classroom and is celebrated school-wide each week in assembly.”

For more information, or to join Buster’s Book Club, visit the Buster's Book Club website or contact coordinator Kay Devine at kdevine@thekmgroup.co.uk.

Contact Details

Kay Devine
Email: kdevine@thekmgroup.co.uk