Reading Ahead is the new name for the Six Book Challenge.

Twenty-two year old student Declan Lapham tell us how is love of sports helped him get into reading for the first time ever, when he did the Six Book Challenge at Coleg Sir Gâr in south Wales whilst studying building services.

Reading felt like a chore

"I didn't really read - it wasn't ever something that had really interested me. At school it felt like a chore, because we were always being told we had to read this or that - you couldn't read what you wanted.

"So when my tutor at college talked to us about doing the Six Book Challenge, at first I thought "Oh no, not another thing we're being told, we've got to read".

"But then I began to enjoy it, because we read different news articles. We read about history and I learned stuff I didn't know before, and we also read articles on other subjects like sports, and I really got into it.

"Now I've actually bought a Kindle! I'm reading some fiction and autobiographies - because I'm a sports fan I've enjoyed reading about David Beckham and Wayne Rooney.

Read things that interest you

"If you find you are struggling to get into reading, or to complete the Six Book Challenge, don't worry about trying to read whole books. You can read things like newspaper articles on a subject that interests you - if you like sports too you can read the sports pages.

"I read mostly at home when I have a bit of spare time when I'm not working. It's a relaxing thing; you can sit and chill out - no one's hassling you and you can go off into a world of your own.

"Reading has also helped me to pronounce words properly and it has also helped me with my spelling and vocabulary: with my Kindle, I can click on a word I don't know and find out what it means. So I'm more confident about my studies.

"I was really proud when I finished the Challenge, because I hadn't realised until then how much I had read. It was quite a lot!

"I will keep on reading for pleasure: I've just ordered another new book to read. Reading comes into everything you do in life - you aren't going to get very far without it. Like Maths, it's a skill you need every day."

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