Read a Million Words in Poole

We aim to make children

word-millionaires

What is the ethos behind RaMW ?

A fun challenge

Children can read a variety of texts, magazines, cereal packets, websites, be read to…and of course books. We are removing ‘barriers’ and supporting literacy at a strategic level.

It is not a competition – it is a journey through words. Many children will not reach anywhere near a million words, but we can encourage them.

Our ultimate aims are to promote libraries, encourage visits, make reading fun, acquire more members and make libraries relevant.

Our unique website:www.ramwpoole.org.uk

Children can sign up for RaMW online from any pc with web access or of course at any Poole Library.

Each child will get a virtual passport to record their word totals.

Children do not need to have a library ticket to take part on line – ‘innovative’, ‘seamless support of literacy’.

We are embracing modern technology by actively encouraging use of the Internet. With the Summer Reading Challenge this has been largely optional.

www.ramwpoole.org.uk The Word-o-meter will help children calculate their word totals. We hope this may encourage repeat visits to the website.

There are 2 games on the site. Pilots in schools revealed children would like more. We ‘own’ the site therefore we have the potential to add more games.

There is a blog-book review feature. Julie Musselwhite has volunteered to run this.

For web support/maintenance please contact David Parish.

Joining at the library Our target age is 4-12 year olds (as for SRC). Pilot projects have shown 6-10 year olds may be best suited to RaMW. Please do not discourage anybody from taking part if they wish e.g. a family sign up.

When children join at the library they will be given a paper passport. Children will need to be library members to continue their journey and collect rewards. Library membership may increase.

Please encourage children to try and bring their paper passport with them to the library. To gain incentives children will need their paper passport. They will have their passport stamped once they receive an incentive level. This will encourage interaction with children. Some children may like to stamp the passport themselves, time allowing.

How will we encourage children?The incentives

Children will be able to collect rewards along their journey such as; stickers, pencils, bookmarks, frisbees, banner pens, certificates, medals…

On the ‘downloads’ signpost on the website children will be electronically notified when they reach one of the incentive levels. Much thought went into the Incentive levels. We decided on the ‘Who wants to be a millionaire?’ model so less able/younger children will be able to collect an incentive or two. More able/older children may receive several rewards with one book. E.g. A child’s first read may be a J Wilson (50,000 words approx). They would therefore receive 3 incentives in one visit. Please do not worry about this, we will be seen as rewarding all reading.

INCENTIVE SPARES WILL BE STORED AND

MANAGED AT POOLE BY BARBARA LANGTON. PLEASE EMAIL/PHONE HER FOR SUPPORT on

x2445

The online download section

The Content Management System (CMS) on the website allows us to edit the ideas bubbles. We can ‘gift’ extra points to children to encourage them to read. Some colleagues may feel this is cheating as children are not actually reading. For the conscience try likening it to Scrabble and doubling your word total, or its embracing the Tesco model of BOGOF (careful! – i.e. Buy one get one free etc) but we are still encouraging reading afterall. Yes this is pioneering and it is open to debate but at least we are trying out the idea.

How will we encourage children?The Bubbles

The Content Management System (CMS) on the website allows us to edit the ideas bubbles. We can ‘gift’ extra points to children to encourage them to read. Some colleagues may feel this is cheating as children are not actually reading. For the conscience try likening it to Scrabble and doubling your word total, or its embracing the Tesco model of BOGOF (careful! – i.e. Buy one get one free etc) but we are still encouraging reading after all. Yes this is pioneering and it is open to debate but at least we are trying out the idea. How do we know if the children have completed the bubble task? There is an element of trust. Branches could display posters etc, book titles can be recorded in passports,or whom they visited the library with. Above all children are still reading and using the website to find out about the bubble ideas. They can do several bubbles!

A Million seems a lot of words…

A few examples of word bubbles

Read a newspaperarticle; it could be a

local or national paper. Earn an extra

500 words.

Find a new placeto read. Award

yourself an extra 100 words.

Recommend your favourite book to a

friend & ask them todo the same for you.

Earn 500 words.

Read a book about your favourite sports

hero. Double the book’s word total &

earn an extra 500 words.

Visit a Poole Librarywith your class andearn an extra 1000

Words.

Swap a book with a friend and earn

500 words.

There is nothing to stop a child doing the same bubble twice, if they so wish!

We have invested in a quality medal for millionaires. Children will also receive a certificate. We may hold monthly presentations to celebrate achievement/opportunities for press coverage.

Each Branch will have 2 sets of stickers, Design 1, with the logo on, is for marketing/general issue e.g. on starting the journey and Design 2 has a blank space to reward special achievement.

There is an additional certificate which can be issued by Branch Managers for special achievement.

How will we encourage children?Certificates and Medals

How will we encourage children?An opportunity to meet the Mayor

Selected children will be able to meet the Mayor at the Civic at a special celebration on Saturday 3rd October.

A word on word-counting!

Please do not get too caught up on counting the exact number of words, although this might help children's numeracy! Use the sheet ‘A simple guide to word counting for help.

On the website children can use the Word-o-meter to calculate the number of words in a book.

We have a number of booklists divided into different genre e.g. early years, boys fiction, the environment. Each title has an approximate word count. This area can be constantly updated and it lends itself to reader development e.g. bookmarks…

How many is a million?

1 Horrid Henry book =

9300 words

DVD box (High School Musical 3)

= 346 words

7 Harry Potter

books = 1 million words

1 crisp packet (ready salted!) =

315 words

1 Jacqueline Wilson

book = 50,000 words

1 fruit bar (apple & pear flavour!)

= 128 words

Beyond a million…? This is one of the first questions many people ask. Children can read 2 million, 3 million words! (They will not receive additional incentives).

Millionaires will be invited to become Library Champions.

They could encourage others to sign up for the millionaire journey – e.g. peers, younger children…

We hope children and young people will continue their journey into words, thus giving “them a vital skill for life”.

In support of RaMW… Councillor Woodcock, Portfolio holder for

Education has written; “I warmly welcome this exciting initiative. Read a Million Words will give

children the opportunity to enjoy reading and take part in a journey which will help give them a

vital skill for life. Reading is the start of everything in school and education”.

Roger McGough wrote this in support of RaMW,

“Accept the challenge. Be rich beyond compare.

You’ll get respect if you’re a word-millionaire”.

How will we attract children?- Schools

All Headteachers have been briefed. All schools have also received a letter inviting the Children’s Library Service to talk to groups of children via assemblies in the Summer Term. (This follows the normal pattern for publicising the Summer Reading Challenge which we will not be doing this year). We hope to build on last years successful promotion where we spoke to 5800 children.

Branch Managers/child ‘specialist’ will be expected to accompany LLO visits to their local school assembly so that children will have a familiar face. Cover will be provided.

We have delivered a presentation to Literacy Leaders at the Borough’s Literacy Development Group to generate awareness.

We are appointing 4 Champion schools where we are holding mass sign up days for Years 2-5.

How will we attract children?- Champion Schools

Our Champion Schools, targeting Years 2-6 will beBaden Powell and St Peter’s Middle School (306 pupils) (pilot school)

Branksome Heath Middle Schools (253 pupils) (pilot school)

Old Town First School (120 pupils)

St Joseph’s RC VA Combined School (100 pupils) (school staff are to sign up rest of school as part of part of their book week –270 pupils)

Our sign up days will take the form of an assembly at the start of the day and then we will sign up children to Read a Million Word throughout the days. Children will be given paper passports and encouraged to visit a Poole Library to continue the journey. We will have a web team to help us at an ICT acquaintance meeting and on the sign up days.

More information is available on a separate handout on Champion Schools and Excel Spreadsheet!

How will we attract children?- Libraries

It is essential that all libraries have high profile high quality displays.

We have 2 posters, one for promotion, and one generic to promote activities, competitions etc.

We may develop a family information board for RaMW. This can provide a focus point, an area to communicate, receive feedback, highlight competitions,developments etc.

We have carried out a photo shoot for Poole News. Laura and Jenny will work on publicity.

John is working with Walker Books and Hachette for support.

When will RaMW go live? RaMW in Poole starts on Monday 20th April 2009.

We are aiming for a slow burn start to the project mirroring the approach used by Bristol’s RaMW team.This will enable Branches to get to grips with RaMW and for any teething problems with the website to be managed.

RaMW has its own email account for external use. These will be handled by the RaMW team on readamillionwords@poole.gov.uk

And finally … you have just read