Image: Prasanna Kumar

The Reading Agency is leading an innovative, collaborative project to help improve impact evaluation across the sector, by developing a Reading Outcomes Framework Toolkit. We are very grateful to the Peter Sowerby Foundation for funding this work.

Click here to access the toolkit

What is it and how will it help you?

The Reading Outcomes Framework Toolkit includes:

• The Reading Outcomes Framework, which maps the possible outcomes of reading for pleasure and empowerment
• An easy to follow methods section that guides you through the stages of measuring the impact of your programme on these outcomes
• Pre-tested questions for each outcome that you can ask in surveys
• A bank of impact evidence already generated by evaluations of reading for pleasure and empowerment programmes for the following outcomes where available: health and wellbeing, intellectual, personal and social. You can draw on this to make the case for investment and advocate for your work

It will help you to:

• Confidently measure the outcomes of your reading for pleasure and empowerment programmes
• Gather evidence to drive improvement and make the case for investment.
• Save time and money by following a tried and tested approach

Who is it for?

The toolkit is freely available and can be used by anyone working to encourage reading for pleasure and empowerment and wanting to measure the impact of that work. For example charities, libraries, schools, colleges, early years settings, prisons, family learning professionals and the health sector.

Partners

The organisations listed below have all been involved in the development of the Reading Outcomes Framework and are committed to supporting impact evaluation across the reading sector.

Steering group members:
The Reading Agency
Arts Council England
ASCEL
BookTrust
CILIP
National Literacy Trust
Publishers Association
Libraries Connected
Scottish BookTrust
SLIC

Sponsor:
Peter Sowerby Foundation

The Reading Agency is proud to be an Inspiring Impact Impact Champion

Pilot projects

In 2017, we worked with Renaisi to deliver pilots of the Reading Outcomes Framework Toolkit in five settings. The aim of the project, funded by the Arts Council, was to demonstrate how organisations could use the toolkit to measure the outcomes of reading for pleasure and empowerment programmes.

Read the full report

Find out how the toolkit was used by:

• Castleton Primary School and Children's Centre in Leeds

• Read Regional, an annual campaign in Cumbria from New Writing North

• King Alfred Academy's Accelerated Reader programme in Oxfordshire

• Kirklees Home Library Service

• Reading Ahead at Newcastle Under Lyme College

Get involved

View the production timeline for the Reading Outcomes Framework Toolkit

Email any comments or queries to readingoutcomes@readingagency.org.uk.

Find out how the Reading Outcomes Framework Toolkit has featured in conferences and blogs