Good practice examples to support the World Book Day Conversations podcast
Building a sustainable reading for pleasure strategy takes time, reflection and purposeful action. In our World Book Day Conversations: From Celebration to a Reading for Pleasure Strategy podcast, teachers share how they are developing authentic reading cultures in their settings.
This downloadable resource brings together real examples of practice that reflect the approaches discussed in the episode. Each case study shows how schools are embedding reading for pleasure in thoughtful, strategic ways — grounded in pupil voice, staff modelling and community engagement.
What’s included
This resource features examples from:
Primary settings (EYFS – Year 6)
- Celebrating and strengthening reading identities
- Shaping provision through pupil voice
- Developing book wish lists and responsive collections
- Supporting children to understand how they choose books
- Modelling positive adult reading behaviours
- Engaging parents and carers
Secondary settings
- Building reading communities through choice and informal reading practices
- Co-constructing inclusive reading cultures
- Developing social reading opportunities
- Embedding reading aloud
- Connecting reading with families and wider communities
Each example demonstrates clear aims, thoughtful planning and reflection on impact.
Who is this resource for?
This resource is for:
- Primary and secondary teachers
- English leads and reading leads
- Senior leaders developing a reading for pleasure strategy
- School librarians
- Initial teacher education providers
It is particularly useful for schools looking to move beyond one-off celebrations and towards a sustained, strategic approach to reading for pleasure.
How to use this resource
You might use these examples to:
- Reflect on your current reading provision
- Audit how pupil voice informs decision-making
- Consider how adults model their own reader identities
- Inform staff CPD discussions
- Support the development of a whole-school reading for pleasure strategy
The case studies are designed to prompt professional dialogue and inspire context-specific action.
Download the resource
Download the full Reading for Pleasure: Examples of Practice collection to explore each case study in detail and consider how the principles might apply in your setting.