26 October 2020
The Reading Agency booklist for ESOL learners
This booklist has been compiled as part of the Reading Ahead with ESOL in prisons project funded by The Bell Foundation together with some guidance provided by NATECLA. Originally created for use in prisons, these books are useful for anyone...

01 October 2020
Emergent Reader titles by Ransom
Ransom Publishing have a broad range of titles available to support emergent adult readers at various levels. Find out more in this leaflet and visit their website here: https://www.ransom.co.uk/catalogsearch/advanced

23 July 2020
Beyond Words: Coping with Coronavirus Picture Stories
Free picture stories and illustrated guides to support people with learning disabilities and autism through the coronavirus pandemic. Take a look at the Beyond Words books for: Beating the Virus Mental health, end of life and bereavement Secure settings Here: https://booksbeyondwords.co.uk/coping-with-coronavirus/#secure-settings

29 May 2020
Reading Ahead for prisons during Covid-19 toolkit
This toolkit contains ideas and resources for continuing with Reading Ahead in prison settings responding to the current lockdown during Covid-19. This is a working document and will be updated as more resources become available. Do get in touch if you...

19 May 2020
This Is Going To Hurt: Diary Writing Challenge
This activity sheet has been designed for use alongside reading the Quick Reads version of Adam Kay’s This Is Going To Hurt. It provides inspiration and a framework for starting a diary.

30 April 2020
The Reading Agency Hub
Here you can access The Reading Agency at home. You’ll find ideas, activities and challenges from across our programmes to entertain and educate yourself, your family or those you are teaching remotely. The activities will be refreshed every couple of weeks...

29 April 2020
Penned By A Prisoner Daily Writing Challenge (days 21-30)
Resources for days 21 – 30 of the Penned By A Prisoner daily writing challenge created by HMP Brixton. Tweet #PennedByAPrisoner to share writing. Some of the challenges are in collaboration with PACT, a charity that support prisoners and their families...

21 January 2020
The Monster Writing (A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness) - guide
Walker Books have an exciting creative writing challenge called THE MONSTER CHALLENGE. ‘Stories are important. Stories can be more important than anything. If they carry the truth.’ Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls Are you a young person with a passion for telling...

02 December 2019
Making Reading Ahead work for prisoners with ESOL
This four-page leaflet draws together the findings, practical tips and creative tools from our three-year project to support prisoners with ESOL funded by The Bell Foundation. Please scroll down this resources page to find other downloadable items.

17 October 2019
Guide to running Reading Ahead 2019-20
This is a comprehensive guide to running Reading Ahead which explains how the programme works, some best practice case studies, key contacts and how we evaluate the programme. Please do get in touch if you have any further questions.

25 September 2019
Quick Reads back catalogue 2006 - 2020
Quick Reads began in 2006. Since then 4.8 million copies of more than 100 titles have been distributed! The books have been loaned more than five million times through libraries. The 2020 list are currently available to pre-order from all major...

05 June 2019
Changemaker Reads
To celebrate National Reading Group Day on 15 June, we asked reading groups which books inspire them to change the world. Tackling themes of identity, discrimination and equality, these are some of the books that make you want to make...

08 January 2019
January 2019 Young People's booklist - Epic Tales (Myths and legends)
Our January Young People’s booklist – Myths and Legends This month we have been thinking about myths and legends and modern retellings of these stories. We have selected six books for young people which include three novels, two graphic novels and...
09 November 2018
Evaluation of the Reading Ahead ESOL pilot
This reports on the third year of our project for prisoners with ESOL funded by The Bell Foundation and draws on evidence from the previous two years.

07 November 2018
ESOL Creative writing Activity 12 Fold-over story
Handout for Activity 12

07 November 2018
ESOL Creative writing Activity 9 International Etiquette Quiz
Handout for Activity 9

07 November 2018
ESOL Creative writing Activity 6 Alphabet poem
Handout for Activity 6

07 November 2018
ESOL Creative writing Activity 4 Reflections on learning English
Handout for Activity 4

07 November 2018
ESOL Creative writing Activity 3 Jokes and riddles
Handout for Activity 3

07 November 2018
ESOL Creative writing Activity 2 Flashcards of sayings
Handout for Activity 2

07 November 2018
ESOL Creative writing in prison Notes for workshop leaders
This is an overview of how to run a creative writing workshop with prisoners wtih ESOL.

07 November 2018
ESOL Creative writing in prison powerpoint
This is a powerpoint for use in a creative writing workshop.

07 November 2018
Final ESOL Creative writing in prison Guidance for workshop assistants
This is an overview of how to run a creative writing workshop with prisoners with ESOL.

07 November 2018
Words and Memories: Creative writing by ESOL learners
This collection of writing by prisoners whose first language is not English was produced over the course of six workshops in three UK prisons – HMP Downview, HMP High Down and HMP Thameside – between May and July 2018. ...

07 November 2018
ESOL Creative writing in prison materials pack
This is a pack of guidance for anyone wanting to run a creative writing workshop with prisoners whose first language is not English. It includes a powerpoint, notes for workshop leaders, guidance for workshop assistants and several handouts for...

07 November 2018
Creative activities for using with Reading Ahead for prisoners with ESOL
These seven documents provide a wide range of activities for using alongside Reading Ahead for prisoners with English as a Second Language or Additional Language. They have been created by David Kendall as part of a project funded by...

07 November 2018
Creative Activity 6 Reading Ahead Bingo
Playing with words.

07 November 2018
Creative Activity 4 First lines
Writing your own first line.

07 November 2018
Creative Activity 3 Reader vocabulary
Learning the words with which to talk and write about what you read.

07 November 2018
Creative Activity 2
Using book covers to spark discussion.
