What is Reading Ahead?

Reading Ahead improves reading confidence, builds skills and encourages everyone to read more. It is run in prisons, public libraries, colleges, adult community learning settings and workplaces. It is designed to engage people in reading for pleasure, often for the first time, which in turn helps them to improve their language and literacy skills.

After collecting feedback from the sectors involved in delivering Reading Ahead throughout the past year, we have launched a new design for 2023-24!

Reading Ahead asks participants to choose six reads; these can be books, magazines, recipes, letters - anything! After completing each read, participants can share their thoughts on what they've read by filling out a review in a personal Reading Diary and work towards receiving a certificate of achievement. For prison community participants, we work with our partner organisation Give a Book to reward dictionaries on completion. The programme includes a unique reading database to search for reads at the right reading level and a hub of supporting guidance, learning resources and promotional materials.

Who is it for?

Reading Ahead is facilitated by organisations and is aimed at young people and adults who are less confident readers and those who want to improve their literacy and language skills or get back into reading. It is run in most UK prisons, public libraries, colleges, adult community learning centres and workplaces.

Impact and Reach
Evaluation 2021/22 key findings
11,275 young people and adults were reached through Reading Ahead in 2021/22

As a result of taking part in Reading Ahead:
• 72% of participants read for pleasure more than before
• 60% of participants felt more confident about reading
• 88% of organisations running Reading Ahead reported that participants improved their literacy skills

How to sign-up for Reading Ahead

Individuals
Please contact your local library or learning provider for further details on how to take part in Reading Ahead. Alternatively, please contact readingahead@readingagency.org.uk for information on where Reading Ahead is being offered locally.

Organisations
Reading Ahead is delivered with print packs, available to order from The Reading Agency Online Shop. You will need to order one of the core packs to get started.

The print pack contains:
• A4 foldout reading diaries
• A5 flyers
• A3 posters
• Bookmarks
• A4 certificates, signed by our Reading Ahead author ambassadors

In addition to the printed materials, programme co-ordinators will have access to:

• Find a Book - a unique searchable reading database
• Reading Ahead resources database - a hub of downloadable resources including learning material, social media and promotional assets, author content, booklists, and toolkits

How to get started with Reading Ahead 2023-24

1. Purchase a print pack for the required number of participants from The Reading Agency Shop. Packs are available to purchase in quantities of 50 (single), 100 (double), 150 (triple) or 1000 (mega). You will receive a welcome letter and participant sign-up form with your order.

2. You will receive the Organisation Sign-up form with your order confirmation email. **Please return this via email to readingahead@readingagency.org.uk

3. If you don't already have an account, please create a new login, known as a Reading Agency Passport.

4. The Reading Ahead Toolkit, with guidance on how to run the programme in your organisation, will be attached to your order confirmation email. It can also be downloaded from the Reading Ahead Resources area.

5. We offer a range of incentive items that can be used to encourage and congratulate Reading Ahead participants on their reading journey. These can be purchased from The Reading Agency Shop.

6. Prison librarians and prison staff - Thanks to generous support from Give A Book, those running Reading Ahead in prisons are gifted free dictionaries for their completers. Contact readingahead@readingagency.org.uk when your participants have completed Reading Ahead for further information on how to receive your dictionaries.

For enquiries and support with orders, please contact shop@readingagency.org.uk
For programme queries and guidance on how to run Reading Ahead at your organisation, please contact readingahead@readingagency.org.uk

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